The Pool
by Ghost of the Dawn
Summary: Unable to get over the heartbreak of his failed marriage, Bolin takes a trip to the spirit world in order to get a fresh start.
1. Chapter 1: The Stag

Author's Notes: They say to write what you want to read. After not being able to find any satisfactory Bolin romance fics, especially in the BolinxOC department, I started working on one myself. I have been picking at this short fic for years. It's really just a guilty pleasure story. Something I work on when I've got the LOK feels or I'm just having a bad day and want to write something fluffy. Since it's Valentine's Day, I thought I finally had enough of this written to post. Enjoy.

 **The Pool**

 **Chapter One: The Stag**

"You know what you need, Bolin?" Varrick said, standing way too close to the earthbender's face. "You need to go swim naked in a spirit pool. That will do the trick!"

Bolin stared at his employer. "...What?"

The animated businessman stood back, looking very proud of his suggestion. "Sure, all the kids are doing it these days. Go on a spirit quest, er... soul journey? Well, whatever it is you call it, you go to the spirit world and skinny-dip in their pool to make a whole new you."

Bolin just blinked at him, having no idea what Varrick was talking about.

Seeing he wasn't quite presenting his case, Varrick snapped his fingers. "Zhu Li, show him the thing."

Like magic, the lovely Zhu Li, Varrick's wife of now nine years, appeared next to Bolin and handed him a small book.

"The Adventurer's Guide to the Spirit World," Bolin read aloud. Upon further examination, he found the author of said book was very familiar. "Tenzen's brother Bumi wrote this! You can't believe everything that dude says."

"All the spirit world fanatics swear by it," Varrick insisted. "He lived on the other side for three years, mapping out the terrain and noting all the must-visit places. Including this: Zhu Li, the page."

Without even looking, the indefatigable Zhu Li opened the book in Bolin's hands to the correct page.

"The cleansing pool," Bolin read again.

"Right! People will visit this pool when they want a brand new start at life! When you bathe in this pool, it cleanses you, body and spirit. You come out feeling like a new person. They say it's the closest thing you can get to a second birth. Zhu Li and I have been talking, you need a vacation Bolin. You should go do this."

The earthbender raised a brow at them. "Why?"

"Look at you man!" Varrick said, gesturing wildly at him. "You need to do _something_! We're sick of seeing you mope around! It's been almost three years! Time to move on!"

* * *

That conversation had happened almost a week ago, and Bolin could not argue the point. He really did need to do something or he would be stuck in a rut of depression forever. As such, he now found himself in Republic City, the straight yellow spire of the spirit portal still going strong in the distance. It had been years since he had stepped foot in this town, the city where he grew up and spent his life as a young man.

After he and Opal married seven years ago, they moved to Zaofu to be close to her family. After the Kuvira incident, family was very important to his wife and Bolin couldn't blame her. He enjoyed their life in Zaofu; having large family dinners, the house filled with people. It was everything he had wished for as a child, despite the fact that it meant he didn't get to see his own extended family very often. Not even Makko, who now worked in Ba Sing Se for Wu, formerly prince of the earth kingdom, now part diplomat, part politician in the newly reformed government.

It was only after Bolin separated and then divorced from Opal that he, too, moved to Ba Sing Se where not only his brother lived, but all his extended family. And he loved it there. The Earth Kingdom capitol was a different city now. There were no more tiers separating the upper and lower classes, no more rank, darkened slums where the lowest citizens rotted away. While most big cities, including the new and improved Ba Sing Se, still knew some measure of poverty, it wasn't such a rampant problem as it used to be.

Now, at age 29, Bolin had been divorced for nearly three years, and Varrick was right that he had been moping about it ever since. Though they had both agreed the marriage wasn't working and it was time to part ways, his heart never recovered from it. He couldn't stop wondering if he should have tried harder, held on a little longer, even though he knew it would have just extended the misery they both put upon each other. However, after the divorce was finalized, Bolin just went from one misery to the other. And this one, the one of heartbreak and loneliness, he did not allow himself to recover from.

Varrick was right. He did need this vacation. He needed to do something to cut away from this funk. He needed to accept that the chapter of his life with Opal was over. She had already moved on and let herself be happy again. It was time he did the same. If that meant swimming in this spirit world pool, then so be it.

With Pabu riding his shoulder, Bolin neared the brilliant portal to the spirit world, Bumi's guide tucked in his jacket pocket. With the spirit portal now a staple part of Republic City for almost a decade, the city had changed to make it a part of their world.

These days, the spirit world was treated much like a national park. People were allowed to come in and out as they pleased for day trips. Anyone who wanted to stay the night had to obtain a permit and camp in certain areas. The officers tasked with paroling the "park" were very persnickety about visitors leaving any clutter or trash in the spirit world. Anyone caught littering would receive a hefty fine. Just like any park, there were several areas designated for tourists: special trails and places where one could eat if they wanted to bring a lunch. Also like any park, if one strayed from the familiar areas, there was always a chance of getting hurt or lost. Both have happened to visiting adventurers over the years who thought they were brave enough to explore the greater wilds of the spirit world.

Bolin as well had no intention of staying on the normal paths. To find this so-called cleansing pool, according to the guide, one had to wish to find it and venture into the wilds alone. Thus, he picked a direction that looked good, casually put his hands in his pockets and stepped forward into the bushes.

He continued deep into the thick of the spirit forests, walking in a straight line with lack of any other direction. At one point, Pabu jumped to the ground to wander around and smell everything.

"Stick around, old man," Bolin warned. "I don't want to have to look for both this stupid pool and you."

The fire ferret seemed to pause to consider this. He wasn't as young as he used to be. These days Pabu ran out of energy sooner and slept more often. There was a little bit of gray to his muzzle. But his eyes and mind remained bright and he was still as curious as ever. He twitched his whiskers and promptly jumped into a thick fern—only to scramble out a second later as a swarm of small multicolored buzzing spirits came out after him.

Pabu scrambled up his master's pant leg where he then chittered angrily at the spirits from Bolin's shoulder. The earthbender laughed; something he hadn't done in a long time, and it felt good.

"Sorry guys." Bolin bowed in apology to the tiny buzzing spirits. "He's never had very good manners. We didn't meant to disturb you."

The spirits seemed to accept the apology and moved on their way. Pabu kept his place on Bolin's shoulder after that.

After several miles of hiking through thick foliage, they finally happened upon a clearing. Bolin hoped this would be the end of his search, but there was no pool. Just a wide area full of soft aquamarine grass swaying in the breeze. Still, it wasn't a bad find and he took a moment to close his eyes and feel the warm sun and smell the sweet, wild air.

When he opened them, something glittered in the light. His heart froze. It was huge. A great spirit beast stood across the meadow, watching him. Its form was similar to that of a large silver stag, fur glittering like metal in the light. Wide hooves attached to long, slender but powerful legs; a barrel-like body and thick neck. The snout was pushed in, eyes far apart with an uncanny quality that made Bolin shiver to look it in the face. Great, hulking horns sprouted from the creature's head, adorned in thick green moss and wild flowers.

Despite all attempts on Bolin's part to avoid it, their gazes locked and he swore he could hear the creature speak to him in his mind.

 _Follow._

The pull was magnetic. Like trapped in a spell, Bolin lost all ability to decline. The stag took off into the trees and Bolin shot off after it, Pabu digging in his claws to hang on.

The chase was exhilarating. Flashes of shadow and light splashed his face as Bolin ran through the trees and the brush, the stag always ahead, silver fur winking in and out. The grand antlers never seemed to catch on a single branch. Bolin pushed harder, faster, chasing blindly and thrilling at his own speed. Though no longer a kid, he still kept himself in top physical condition. He was fast and strong as he bounded through the forest, like a wild animal himself.

The stag leaped through a thicket of trees and out of sight. Bolin plowed forward to catch it and burst into another clearing. Glancing wildly around, he found that the spirit creature had disappeared, leaving no trace or sound to where it had gone. What he did find, however, was a limpid pool whose water seemed to glow with a light all its own. At first glance, he had no doubt where he was.

"I found it," Bolin whispered, hardly making a sound. That spirit had shown him the way. It knew what he was looking for, what he needed, and it guided him safely through the forest. Now suddenly humbled, he bowed to the silent forest, his voice still quiet, reverent. "Thank you."

With careful approach, Bolin stood at the lip of the pool, cautiously looking in. The water was clear and he could see down to the bottom. The phosphorescent rocks within gave the water an unearthly glow.

At the same time, if he turned his head just so, he could see his reflection in the glass-like surface. He compared the man he saw to the one from his youth. The eyes weren't as bright. They seemed more tired these days. He no longer slicked back his hair like some street-alley hoodlum. A few dark strands fell over his forehead, the rest was swept back with a windblown look. In the face he saw, Bolin met the truth of himself.

 _You don't look happy, Bolin. You haven't looked happy in a long time._

For not the first time, perhaps not even the hundredth, Bolin thought back on his four-year marriage and all the reasons it went wrong. There were the small things: the constant argument over whether Pabu was allowed on their bed. Or, every time Bolin wanted to go to Ba Sing Se to visit his family, Opal never wanted to go. And when he offered to go alone for a few days, she would get irritated that he was leaving her behind.

Then, there were the bigger things: the constant give and take Opal insisted on every day of their marriage. Everything was a barter to her, a trade. Always giving one thing for another, and nothing ever came for free. A horrible, damaging system established early in their relationship that day she asked him to come with her to save her family from Kuvira.

She had told him that in exchange for helping her free her family, she would give him another chance. Warning bells had gone off in Bolin's head, but he was too excited at the prospect of getting back with her to pay them any mind. He should have taken a moment to think, to talk to her and explain that she never had to barter with him like that. Even afterward, when everyone was safe, he should have said something. But he stupidly never did. Not even as she was leaving him after four years of a rocky marriage.

 _Oh, Opal, didn't you see? I loved you. I would have helped you anyway, no strings attached. I would still do anything for you without expecting anything in return. All you have to do is ask._

But even that wasn't the main reason their marriage fell apart.

Bolin's internal pity party was interrupted as Pabu jumped to the ground with a curious chirrup and scampered off around the large boulders nesting on the far side of the pool.

"Pabu," Bolin complained. "Leave those spirits alone."

He was answered with another ferrety chirp, the sound of claws scrambling on stone, and then a very non-spirit-like squeal of surprise. A woman ran out from behind the boulders, Pabu nipping playfully at her heels as if it were some sort of game. She fled blindly from the animal, running right into Bolin as he caught her. Only then, when his arms were around her, holding her to his chest, did he realize that all he saw, all he felt, was sun-tanned skin.

She was naked!

The woman instantly realized this, too. She let out another squawk and shoved away from him. In her haste to escape, she tripped and fell, skidding on the rocks and dirt before jumping back up again and scrambling back behind the boulders where she had been earlier.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" her plaintive voice demanded from behind the rocks.

"Uh, sorry!" Bolin floundered. "I didn't realize someone else was here. Um... are you okay? You didn't get... robbed or anything, did you?"

"No," came a quiet voice, so soft it gave him goosebumps. "I was going to get in the pool. It's cleansing, but you're supposed to take off all your clothes and-"

"Right, right," Bolin cut her off as he referred to his spirit world guide. "That's what it says in the book here. I was looking for the pool, too. I didn't know how to find it, but I followed this silver stag-"

"Silver stag?" the woman's head popped up, they locked eyes for a split second and then she dropped back behind the rocks.

"Uh yeah... at least, it's fur looked silver in the light."

"With antlers adorned with moss and flowers?"

"Oh, you saw it, too?"

"No," the woman's voice said. "But I know of this spirit. He must have led you to the pool for a reason."

"But I guess he didn't know it wasn't my turn yet," Bolin joked. "I'm sorry I showed up early."

A sun-kissed arm poked out from behind the boulder, pointing to a pile of clothes folded on a rock. Bolin hadn't noticed them there before. "Could you please hand me my clothes?"

"Right, sorry. Here." Carefully, he stretched out, looking away as she snatched the materials from his grasp.

A few moments later she stepped out, wrapped in dusty robes that were old and threadbare, her brown hair was pulled up in a bun on her head in preparation for getting wet. Understandably, she had a hard time looking him in the face. The pink tint on her cheeks made her look lovely.

"Are you okay?" Bolin spoke. "I saw you fall. I mean- I wasn't trying to look but I saw everything. No, not _everything_... yeah, I kinda saw everything. But I wasn't-" He cut himself off as the woman hid her face in her hands, mortified.

"Look," Bolin tried again. Being once married, it wasn't the first time in his life seeing a naked woman. It wasn't that big of a deal, he could weather this. "Clearly, you were here first. I'll let you have your turn and I'll come back later, okay?"

Her face shot up to stare at him. Bolin noticed her eyes were the color of melted chocolate. "No, the stag brought you here. He led you here for a reason. He wants you to do this. And maybe he was also telling me that it's not yet my time. I'll leave and come back later. I think that's what the spirit wants."

"You sure? I really don't mind."

"Yes." She looked down again. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you're a nice person, but I don't really feel comfortable getting in right now anyway. I can come back."

"Right, right. I can understand. Sorry again." He really didn't want her to go.

She bowed politely and all but fled the clearing.

"My name's Bolin, by the way," he called after her.

She was already gone.

Bolin sighed, feeling stupid and useless. Pabu sat at his feet and chirped at him. He crouched down so they were eye to eye. "Pabu, my wing man, as great as it sounds in theory to chase naked women into my arms, it's not really the best way to meet girls, you know what I mean?"

The furry creature cocked his head at him.

"Nevermind," Bolin sighed. "Let's get this over with."

Without ceremony, he disrobed and stepped into the water. He expected it to be cold, but it was luke warm. As he went in up to his shoulders, Bolin swore he could feel a kind of power radiating so very gently in the water. It was soothing, but cleansing? He wasn't sure about that. He didn't feel like a new man, he just felt wet.

Glancing over to his furry companion, Pabu watched silently, perched on a rock. _Guess I gotta go in all the way_ , Bolin thought. With a deep breath, he submerged himself. Beneath the surface, he hung suspended in the water, eyes closed. It was so silent down here. The weak greenish-blue glow of the rocks seemed to permeate his eyelids and he opened them to find that the bottom of the pool had disappeared. All around him was that gentle glow; but no rocks, nothing of substance all around him.

Strangely, Bolin didn't care. He no longer felt the need to breathe. His thoughts drifted to Opal. His heart still hurt when he thought of her, but he was tired of the pain. He was ready for it to heal, ready to move on. He thought he had moved on until he heard news about her. How everything was different for her now, how she was so happy; and his heart had ripped open anew.

 _It was me. Everything was wrong with me after all. I was the reason it all fell apart._

Opal deserved better. She had found better, she was happy now. Bolin could live with that. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. As long as she was happy, he would be content. But his heart still ached.

 _Just make this pain go away, that's all I want, just the pain to get better._

Yet, he continued to torture himself, thinking of her eyes, her smile. The way her body felt when he held her close. So soft and warm. Like that body he held in front of the pool: warm, alive, trembling. Then, Bolin thought of eyes the color of melted chocolate.

He awoke with quick inhale, eyes snapping open. Bolin lay on the bank next to the pool, his naked body exposed to the elements. It was now becoming dark and he had no recollection of leaving the water or how long he had been laying there.

He sat up quickly, glancing around for witnesses. Thankfully, he was alone. Hopefully, that girl hadn't come back while he was spread eagle in the nude on the ground. Or anyone else, for that matter.

"Pabu! You're supposed to keep an eye out! Why didn't you wake me up?"

The fire ferret, currently napping on a warm flat stone, opened an eye to him and then went back to sleep.

Grumbling, Bolin retrieved his clothes and they returned to the portal and Republic City.

* * *

"Hey, Bolin! Over here!"

As soon as he stepped into the old restaurant, Bolin heard his name and saw a tan skinned arm waving him over.

"Korra!" he called as she stood to greet him. "It's been too long!" The old friends embraced, Bolin picking her off the ground.

"Yeah," she agreed. "It's so good to see you. You need to come to Republic City more often. I keep telling you."

"Ha! Sorry, you know I like to keep busy." He set her down and the two took their seats.

"Who would have thought? Bolin, a workaholic," Korra teased. "I hope you don't mind, I already ordered for you. You were late and I'm starving. I'm pretty sure I remember what you like." She winked at him and Bolin grinned.

"Thanks, doll." He was a bit touched she remembered. It was the water tribe themed restaurant they went to on their first and only date. Bolin was glad the place was still in business. Hopefully the food was just as good as he remembered. "Sorry I was late. I... lost track of the time."

"Yeah, the spirit world will do that to you. You found the pool, right?"

"I sure did."

"How was it?"

Bolin paused to think about it. "Weird, I guess. Not what I thought."

"Do you feel... better?"

He gave a helpless shrug. "I don't know. But... I think I need to move on, pool or no pool. Opal already has, I should, too."

Korra reached over the table and patted his hand. "Good for you. You're in Republic City now. Let's just relax and have some fun. And eat as much as you like, my sugar mama is paying," she added with a smile and a wink.

Bolin smirked. "Does Asami know you call her that?"

"That and more," Korra grinned and Bolin laughed.

"Is Asami going to be eating with us? I miss her, too."

Korra sighed. "I don't know. She said she would if she could, but she's probably not. Future Industries has a major deadline coming up and she's been working long hours. Plus she doesn't care for the food here."

Bolin gasped dramatically.

"I know!" Korra laughed. "No accounting for taste anymore. The only time I can go here with someone is with you. So you need to come out and visit more!"

Bolin saluted. "Yes ma'am!" Then, it just so happened he glanced near the doorway and gasped again. "Oh crap, it's her!"

"Huh?" Korra asked, glancing behind her. "Opal?"

"No, not Opal," Bolin hissed as he tried to shrink behind the table. "I met her in the spirit world."

"Oh yeah?" Korra perked up, intrigued. "You two hit it off?"

"Um... not exactly."

But the avatar was already getting up and walking over. Bolin's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Korra! Come back!"

A woman who appeared their age stood by the menu sign located at the front, reading the prices. It was a relatively cheap joint to begin with, but she was counting her coins to see if she had enough.

"Hi!" Korra greeted, getting in her face.

She jumped back a little at the sudden reception. "Um, hello."

"My friend and I noticed you standing out here. He says he knows you." She pointed into the restaurant where Bolin was making desperate slashing motions across his neck to signal Korra to stop.

The stranger recognized him instantly and her face flushed. "Oh um... that is..."

"You should come sit with us, the food here is great."

"I would love to but I'm afraid I don't have enough money on me to eat here..."

"No worries, I'm paying." Korra put a strong arm around the woman's thin shoulders and practically carried her inside and over to the table. Bolin was still slouching in his chair. He looked up at the woman in what he hoped was a helpless and apologetic expression.

"Have a seat!" Korra practically forced the stranger in the chair next to Bolin and then sat down with a proud smile on her face. "So, do you live here in Republic City?"

She tried hard not to look at Bolin, he was doing the same. "Um... just visiting."

"Oh? Just came to see the spirit world? I'm assuming that's where you two met."

Both flushed brighter.

"Uh, yeah," Bolin cut in. "We were both hunting for the same pool. How funny is that! She was kind enough to let me go first."

"Oh yeah? And what did you think of it?" the avatar asked.

The woman looked down at her hands. "I wasn't able to go. I got lost, I guess. I couldn't find the pool again before it got dark. I guess I'll have to try again tomorrow."

Bolin instantly felt bad. That was all his fault. Why was he so good and screwing things up for people?

"So you're staying at least for another day," Korra plotted. "You should come hang out with us tomorrow. We could show you the sights." Again, Bolin was motioning for her to shut up and she blatantly ignored it.

"By the way, what's your name?"

"It's Sanae. It's nice to meet you." She nodded politely.

"Hi Sanae. That's Bolin, of course. My name's Korra." A fire ferret's head suddenly popped out of Bolin's shirt. "And that's Pabu."

"Oh, how neat. You have the same name as our avatar."

Korra grinned wide.

"Um... she is the avatar," Bolin whispered.

Sanae paled, eyes wide as she started at the woman across the table. "Of course you are! How stupid of me!" She bowed low and quick in apology, only to hit her forehead on the table with a solid bang. "Oww..." As if she wasn't embarrassed enough already.

"Careful," Bolin said gently. "You can't keep beating yourself up." He touched her forehead lightly despite himself and Sanae blushed a little in return.

The avatar grinned as she watched them. "You two should have bathed together, that would have saved a lot of time."

The color drained from Sanae's face again.

"Korra!" Bolin admonished.

She laughed. "Sorry, sorry. Forgive me, Sanae. Bolin's been single for so long, I can't help but tease him."

"Yeah, sorry my friend's so heartless," Bolin glared with an irritated tone.

Sanae actually smiled at that. "I think you are lucky to have such a good friend."

Korra pointed at her as two bowls were delivered to their table. "Darn right he is. Waiter, one more order of noodles, please."

They talked more as they ate- mostly Korra and Bolin, catching up with each other and on the latest gossip on those they knew. Sanae seemed to grow comfortable in their presence, though she ate like she hadn't had a meal all day. Bolin couldn't help but watch her. He always liked to see a girl with a healthy appetite.

Korra watched them both. The girl was cute enough. A little too soft spoken, but maybe she was just shy around new people. Usually, Bolin seemed to always fall for the headstrong type of girl and none of those relationships worked out. Maybe it was time for someone different.

"So, Sanae," she said, turning the discussion over to the newcomer. "Where are you from?"

"A small village in the earth kingdom, very far from here."

"Pretty long way, huh?"

"Several day's journey, yes."

"So what brings you to Republic City? Certainly you didn't come all this way just for a bath."

Sanae looked down self-consciously. "Actually, I did. They say if you bathe in its water, it will cleanse your body and soul. It will give you a fresh start. That's what I wanted, a fresh start." She continued, talking quicker. "I know it sounds silly, but it's something I wanted to do. Hopefully I can get there first thing in the morning and find the pool."

"What about tonight? Where are you staying?"

"Oh, I haven't made any arrangements, I... don't really have a lot of money. My time line got a little derailed after today."

Korra slapped her palms on the table. "You're staying with us then, it's settled."

Sanae stared at her in horror. Bolin quietly asked the powers that be how he ended up with such a friend.

* * *

"Here we are," Korra announced as they walked through the front door of a grand mansion.

Asami was already half way across the room to greet them. "Hey babe," she said as she kissed Korra's cheek. She then moved to give Bolin a hug, making a noise of approval when he swept her up in his embrace. Asami stood back to appraise his appearance. "Look at you. It's so good to see you. Look how _big_ you are." She felt his impressive biceps appreciatively.

"Heh, yeah. Had to do something with myself these past few years." Bolin hadn't been in the pro bending circuit since he was twenty. After he got married, his muscle mass began to decline in the wake of keeping a real job and other adult duties. After his divorce, he found lifting weights and keeping in shape was one of the few things he still enjoyed. As such, he was carrying quite an impressive bulk these days.

"And, is this your girlfriend, Bolin?" Asami asked when she noticed the shy woman behind them.

"Woah! No, no!" Bolin gestured frantically. "She's just a girl who's a friend. I mean- maybe we're not even friends. I just met her today."

Asami's brows knitted. She didn't like the idea of them dragging a stranger into her home.

"She didn't have anywhere else to stay," Korra insisted.

Sanae bowed low at Asami's disapproving expression. "I'm sorry for this, I tried to decline. The avatar is a difficult person to refuse."

Asami gave a huff and her expression lightened. "Don't I know it."

"Asami, why don't you show Sanae to a guest bedroom," Korra suggested. "I'm going to have a little talk with my good friend Bolin." She emphasized those last few words with solid slaps on the man's back. Bolin looked like he was not going to enjoy this conversation.

The woman identified as Sanae didn't seem too comfortable with it either. But Asami knew there was no arguing with the avatar when she set her mind to something.

"Sure, come on. Let me show you the bedroom and where you can take a bath." The stranger was eager to follow and leave the room as Asami led the way.

Bolin watched them go, already missing the soft presence that had been standing next to him.

Korra grinned slyly. "You are too funny, Bolin."

"What? What did I do?" he demanded.

"I swear, you will never stop falling for the first girl you see. First me, then Eska, then Opal. You're so hopeless when it comes to pretty girls."

"She is kinda pretty, isn't she?" Bolin said, then nearly slapped himself. "No! I can't do this again, Korra, I can't."

"Why not? It's time to find someone new, Bolin. It's time to be happy again. Opal moved on long ago. In fact, I even heard that she's-"

"I know what you heard," Bolin cut her off sharply and Korra was taken off guard by the emotion in his voice. "But did you ever consider the reason all my relationships fail is because of me?"

Korra huffed. "Bolin, that's ridiculous."

"Is it? Really, Korra? I'm the only constant in all those relationships. How could it not be my fault?"

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Why? Because you're a good person. You're funny and caring and loyal. And any girl should feel lucky to have you, that's why."

She was rewarded with a small smile. "Thanks, Korra. Though I would appreciate- I just met this girl today and I sort of terrified the life out of her when we ran into each other. So maybe could you not push so hard? If something happens, it happens. If not, that's fine, too. Yeah?"

The avatar nodded. "Okay, Bolin. Just remember, no matter what happens, you always have Asami and me."

Bolin hugged her and she happily accepted the embrace. "Thanks, Korra."

* * *

Sanae stared in awe at the lavish bedroom splayed before her eyes. It had a bed. A real bed. It had been days since she had slept in a real bed. She couldn't help but wander over to touch it, entranced with the idea of letting her body sink into the softness.

Asami opened the window to let the room air out. "Sorry the place is a little stale, we were expecting to use only one guest room."

"No, this is fine. Thank you so much for your hospitality. I promise I'll be out by dawn, I just needed a place to sleep."

Asami waved her off. "Don't worry about it. You're Bolin's friend and Korra seems to like you, too. You're welcome here." She turned to the closet and dug through the linens. "If those sheets smell dusty, I've got some fresh ones here. I think there's some towels as well. I can show you where the bathroom is if you'd like to take a bath-"

She turned around to find Sanae passed out on the bed, dead asleep. Asami took a moment to look the guest over, taking in her threadbare clothes and shoes whose soles were worn nearly all the way through. In the end, Asami was glad Korra had invited the poor girl home. She looked like she needed a little kindness.

Silently, Asami draped an extra blanket over the sleeping body and closed the door behind her. She returned to the living room where Bolin and Korra were talking and laughing on the couch. Korra was doing most of the laughing.

"Hey Asami! You gotta hear how Bolin met this girl! It's hilarious!"

"Korra!" Bolin whined. "You said you wouldn't tell!"

Asami grinned. It was good to have Bolin back.

* * *

Sanae breathed in deep, feeling like she was in heaven. Everything around her was soft and warm. It felt as though she hadn't been warm for weeks. Then her heart thudded unbidden in her chest. She didn't have time to be warm, there were things she needed to do.

She shot up in bed, glancing in horror at the sunlight already filtering through the window. What time was it? She promised she would be out by dawn! In a panic, she flung herself out of bed, only to be caught up in the blankets and falling flat on her face. She wrestled on the floor, trying to kick her way free. In the middle of her battle, the bedroom door opened.

Asami stood over her. "Good morning sleepy head. You really needed a good rest, didn't you?"

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to sleep in." She continued to try to worm her way out of the blankets. "I'll be leaving right now."

"No you're not," Asami announced. "You're going to take a bath and then we're throwing out these rags and getting you some clothes that don't have holes in them."

"Oh no, you don't have to do that. I'm fine, really."

Asami pointed a stern finger across the hall. "Get into the bathroom."

Sanae winced at the order and crawled where she was directed, dragging the blanket with her.

* * *

Sanae felt bad all over again when she got into the tub and realized how much she must have stunk from her several days' journey. How rude of her to sleep on her host's lovely bed while she was still so filthy. Once again determined to leave as soon as possible for the sake of those being so kind to her, she quickly scrubbed herself, washed her hair and climbed out.

A new set of clothes was waiting for her on a chair: a beautiful silky aquamarine shirt and tight white pants that ended just below her knee. The beautiful slip-on shoes that matched her shirt almost made her cry. These clothes were too nice for her. She couldn't travel with these. They would be ruined far too fast.

With intent to ask for her old clothes back, Sanae ventured into the hall. Asami seemed to have been waiting for her.

"Oh good, you're dressed. You hungry?"

"Um, no," she said softly, though she was, in truth, starving. "If I could just get my old clothes, I'll be out of your way."

"Can't," Asami said with a flip of her hair. "I burned them."

"Wh-why?" Sanae squeaked out. "I- I can't take these clothes, they're too nice."

She was ignored as Asami grabbed her wrist and dragged her off to the dinning room. Once placed in an empty chair before a large breakfast spread, Sanae tried to eat with dignity, but her hunger won out. She ate with a ravening appetite, slowing down only once or twice to avoid suffocating herself with food.

Asami watched the girl silently. She had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth and never knew hunger. Sometimes she forgot not everyone knew the same privileges. Being surrounded by nice things all day sometimes made her unable to appreciate them. Asami was suddenly very grateful for the life she had.

"We're back!" Korra's voice announced a moment before she stepped into the dinning room followed by Bolin. Both had various bags in their arms.

Sanae quickly wiped her face, pretending she hadn't been stuffing it like a pig mere seconds ago.

"Did you have fun at the market?" Asami asked.

"Oh yeah!" Korra said. "Check out what I got!" A large, dead fish was promptly thrown on the table. One of the biggest any of them had ever seen.

Asami jumped at its presence. "What are we supposed to do with this?"

"Eat it, of course," Korra said, rolling up her sleeves as if she planned to do the job right then and there. "It will be delicious!"

Asami sighed. "Get it off my table. Put it in the freezer I guess. Maybe the cook can do something with it."

Meanwhile, Bolin sat himself at the table across from Sanae. "Oh hey, you're still here." He had hoped she would be.

"Sorry," she said as she stood. "I didn't mean to stay so long. I'll be going now."

"Not with that hair you're not," Asami ordered. Sanae realized her hair was still damp and all over the place. She had not a comb to run through it. With hands on Sanae's back, Asami guided her back down the hall.

Sanae was set in a chair where Asami went to work blowing and brushing it out. It was a nice feeling to have someone brushing her hair, caring for her. Sanae secretly didn't want it to stop, but she knew she should go the first chance her hosts allowed it.

"Look at this volume," Asami praised as her chestnut hair dried and gained thickness. "You have so much hair, it's gorgeous."

Sanae hunched a little and muttered a quiet, "Thank you."

As Asami lifted the thick brown hair from the other woman's neck she notice a mark that had been otherwise covered. A sort of crest in the skin. "What's this? It looks like a burn."

Sanae instantly slapped a palm to her neck as if she were swatting a mosquito. "It is... a tradition in our village. When a woman is married she is marked with the crest of her husband's house, binding her to his family."

Asami wanted to say that seemed a bit primeval, but she knew there were still many ancient villages deep in the Earth Kingdom that held onto old ways. She certainly didn't feel it was her place to question the tradition of her guest's home village. Instead she said: "So, are you married then?"

"I was. Not any more. My husband died."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

Turning toward her, Sanae said, "Please don't tell anyone. It is not something I would like people to know. I don't wish to talk about it."

"I understand." Asami went back to brushing her hair. So that was why their guest wanted to find this spirit pool. Getting over the loss of someone she loved was certainly a reason to try to find closure and move on. "There," she announced when she was finished."Beautiful." She turned the chair toward a mirror so Sanae could see herself.

She didn't like what she saw in her reflection. Not in the hollow of her malnourished cheeks, not in the depths of those haunted eyes. She stood, a little more confident this time.

"Asami, I thank you very much for your hospitality. You have been very kind. But I came to this city for a reason and I really must go."

Asami sighed. She tried. Sanae had a reason to come to Republic City and it would be selfish to further deny her a chance to experience the spirit world. "Alright. But, if you need anything, please come back. We really wouldn't mind having you for another day. Honest. Both my friends really like you. I like you, too. Okay?"

Sanae looked almost pained at those words. She bowed once and practically fled the room, hurrying down the main stairway toward the front door.

"Oh hey, Sanae."

She almost groaned with how close she came only to be intercepted with Bolin.

"I guess you're leaving, huh?"

She gave a quick nod. "Yes, I have to go."

"Are you going to be okay? Do you want anyone to go with you? I mean! It doesn't have to be me! I've already seen you- not that I was trying to! But maybe the girls could go with you. No one knows the spirit world better than the avatar, after all."

She wouldn't meet his gaze. "That is very kind of you, but I must do this alone. Thank you, Bolin."

And with that, she was gone. Out the door and out of his life forever.

* * *

For the entire day, Bolin told himself it was better that way. Korra was right. He had a horrible habit of falling for any girl that crossed his path. That was his downfall. He loved too foolishly. Next time, he promised himself, if there was a next time, he would give his heart more wisely. Still, as the day went on, he found himself hoping Sanae found what she was looking for and then decided to come back to him one more time. If she did; if he saw her again, he knew he planned not to let her go without at least giving it a try.

By evening, heavy clouds had set in and the rain poured heavily on Republic City. Thunder boomed and Pabu spent the storm under the couch, his tail fluffed up. It was no night to be out in the weather. Bolin thought of Sanae again, now hoping she managed to catch a train and was out of this storm.

The three had settled in the main room, playing cards and telling stories when there was a knock on the door.

"I got it," Bolin announced, pulling himself from his seat. He opened the door and his heart jumped to find Sanae, soaking wet, her fists clenching and unclenching at her sides. Her hair was plastered to her face, her eyes wide, lips pale from the cold. He had the urge to yank her to him, to let his heat warm her and make her feel safe. That terrible, lost look haunted him.

"Can... can I speak to the avatar?" she asked, her voice shaking as much as the rest of her.

"Sanae!" Asami called before Bolin could reply. "Come in before you catch cold! Let me get some towels."

Once again, Bolin watched as the girl was hurried away from him and he wished the world would stop spinning so quickly out of control.

* * *

"So, you couldn't find it again?" Asami asked as she placed a steaming mug of tea in Sanae's hands.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I found it so easily the first time. Why can't I find it again?" Sanae sighed. "Korra, would you mind terribly taking the time to show me where it is tomorrow?"

The avatar, who had been listening to her story of failure, leaned forward, her expression serious. "To be honest, I don't know if I could help. The cleansing pool is one of those things you only find if you're meant to find it. And maybe you're not meant to find it."

"But I found it the first time."

"Yes, and you were interrupted. And when you went back, it was gone. Maybe the spirits don't think you're ready yet."

"I see." Sanae tried hard to school the expression on her face, but there was a lump in her throat. "So, I'm never meant to find it." It was hard to keep her voice from cracking.

"I didn't say that," Korra insisted. "It may just mean you're not ready yet. You probably still have some personal baggage you need to work through first, then the pool will show itself to you."

Sanae looked down at her tea and gave a mirthless chuckle. "And here I thought that was the point of the cleansing pool."

"Life's messy. You can't just clean it all up with only a little bit of water. It takes a lot more than that."

"Is it really that important to visit this pool?" Asami asked. "Is it worth all of this?"

The look of pain on Sanae's face made her regret those questions. "I really need this," she said in almost a whisper. "I need to wipe it all clean."

Korra and Asami looked at each other. What happened to this girl that she was trying to wipe from her life?

At that point, Bolin came into the room with a tub of hot water and set it down at Sanae's feet. "Here, soak in this."

She hissed as she slid off the new, stiff shoes, revealing angry, bloody blisters on her heels and toes.

Asami winced and sympathy. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you would be on your feet hiking around all day. I should have picked some better shoes."

"Neither one of us knew." Sanae winced at the water, though the heat felt wonderful to her ice cold feet.

Bolin knelt before her, a towel on his propped up thigh and a first aid kit next to him. "Okay, show me those feet. Let's inspect the damage." When she hesitated, he added. "Trust me, I'm good at this. Been an athlete all my life. I know how to take care of scrapes and blisters."

Slowly, she raised her left foot, setting it on his thigh and into his large, capable hands. She watched with silent shyness as his thumbs ghosted down her calf, pressing and rotating the ankle to test it for a sprain, even though there was no reason to. His fingers, strong and rough, then touched her foot with the utmost gentleness as Bolin appraised the damage. Sanae sucked in a nearly silent breath at his touch as he pressed into her aching arches.

Korra was watching the cute scene with a romantic grin, only vaguely aware of Asami's attempts to catch her attention until she was practically dragged from the couch. The girls left the two alone for some privacy. Though they were still spying from the kitchen doorway.

Bolin was now wrapping the first foot, slow and careful. "I'm sorry," he said in the stillness. "I feel like this is all my fault. If I was never there in the spirit world you wouldn't have lost your opportunity. I ruined it for you."

She shook her head. "No, the stag led you there. You were where you needed to be. None of it was your fault. Clearly, the spirit was telling me it was not yet my time."

Bolin finally set her foot on the floor. "Can I ask, what do you know about this spirit? I take it you've seen it before?"

"I've never seen it in person. He's well known in my village. His likeness is passed down through the generations. My family believes he is a guardian of our bloodline and a guide of those who seek spiritual wisdom. But clearly ours is not the only family he watches out for. Even though it was not my time for the pool, it was clearly yours. I sincerely hope you found your peace in those waters, Bolin."

Bolin made a sound of indecision and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, I still felt kind of the same." He heaved a big sigh. "Maybe I did it wrong. Maybe I'm too stupid to be properly cleansed. I thought this pain in my chest would go away, but it's still there."

He removed her right foot from the water, inspecting it as he had done the left. "You see, my marriage ended a few years ago. It hurt, but I thought I was over it. Then, I heard... well, something happened and it just felt like the pain started all over again. I was just looking for something to give me closure, you know? Something to let me heal so I can try again."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sanae said softly. "I can tell you loved her."

"Yeah," Bolin sighed, not looking up from her foot as he tended the wounds. "I still do sometimes."

"I guess nothing is a quick fix," she admitted. "Maybe the pool is just the start of healing. Maybe it's the first step of moving forward to something new. I suppose when my time comes I can't expect anything different. It's something that marks the first step in a new direction."

Bolin wanted to ask her what she was trying to cleanse herself of. Her reasons were probably far different than his, but he could tell from looking at her there was a similar pain in her heart. He also knew that just because he told his story, that didn't mean she owed him information that was none of his business.

"I don't know how long you plan to stay here, Sanae, but if you'll think of me as a friend, I'll be happy to help you any way I can while we're both still in the city."

She smiled softly. "I would like that, if we were friends."

Bolin looked up into her face, basking in the warm glow of that smile. "I'd like that, too."


	2. Chapter 2: Find Yourself an Earthbending

**The Pool**

 **Chapter Two: Find Yourself An Earthbending Boy**

Another late morning after sleeping like the dead and Sanae awoke to a different outfit left by Asami, along with a pair of boots that would snugly cradle her damaged feet. Sanae wisely dressed herself and combed her own hair before leaving the bedroom, so Asami wouldn't insist on doing it for her again.

She was immediately assaulted at breakfast by Korra before she could so much as take a first bite of food.

"I'm going to take you to Air Temple Island today," the avatar announced. "Tenzen lives there. He's like my spiritual guru. I'm sure he can help. One day under his instruction and you'll be ready for the spirit world for sure!"

"Okay," she said carefully, though she looked eager to get back to her meal. "I'll try it."

Korra gave her a thumbs up. "Bolin said he wants to come, too."

Bolin's wide-eyed face told he said no such thing.

* * *

"She didn't say anything about flying!" Sanae cried as they raced through the air on a sky bison, making a beeline for Air Temple Island. She clung to the only sturdy thing around, Bolin, obviously out of her element in the sky.

Korra grinned as she watched Bolin pretend not to totally love having the girl nearly climbing in his lap. "It's the fastest way to get there. Just hold on! Yip yip!" She snapped the reigns, urging the bison faster.

When they finally landed, Bolin had little crescent moon-shaped red marks on his arm from her nails. But in truth, he hadn't minded at all. Nor did he mind taking her waist and helping her down from the flying beast. It had been too long since he held something so dainty and feminine. Their eyes met for a moment as her feet touched the ground, his hands still at her waist.

"You... have very pretty eyes," Sanae said softly. "I just noticed."

Bolin's cheeks warmed, more because she was looking at him than from the compliment. "Uh, thanks. Um, you..."

"Hey Tenzen!" Korra squawked, waving as she saw her guru walking calmly to meet them. "Just you today? Where's the rest of the brood?"

"Korra," the older man greeted with gentle dignity. "My _family_ is getting ready to go into town. You may join them if you like."

The avatar lit right up. There were very few things she enjoyed more than goofing around the entire day with Tenzen's children. "Ooh, I just might do that."

"Though before you do," Tenzen said, "a favor?" He turned and motioned for Korra to follow.

In turn, Korra motioned for Bolin and Sanae to join her and they all trekked over to the side of the air temple where a massive, but withered tree seemed to be fighting to keep its leaves. It had to be hundreds of years old.

"Korra, could you please try again?" Tenzen asked.

The avatar looked up at the great, barren branches, hands on hips. "Didn't I just do this a few months ago? You might have to give it up, Tenzen, the old girl's had a good run, but I think she might be too far gone."

"Please try. You know I love this old tree. This is where I would come when I wanted time to myself as a boy. I would hide up in those thick branches and my siblings would never find me. My father knew it was my favorite hiding place, but he would always pretend he didn't know I was up there. I don't want to let it go without a fight."

Korra grinned at him. "I know." She closed her eyes, pressing her knuckles together as she summoned her chi.

Behind her, Bolin lightly elbowed Sanae. "Watch this," he whispered knowingly.

The avatar began to glow with a gentle, blue light as she waved her hands about in a methodical, circular motion. The energy gathered in her palms and she pressed it to the trunk of the tree, sharing her energy with it. The bark glowed only briefly from her touch, absorbing the energy as a dry sponge absorbs water. After a moment, Korra stepped back and looked at the tree once more.

"That's the best I can do. I don't know if it will help. Sometimes, it's just their time and you have to let it go." Korra knew about things having their time and about letting go. Not too long ago, it had been Naga's time and she had to say goodbye to the best friend she ever had. Of all the things Korra had to endure in her life, letting Naga go had by far been the hardest thing she had ever done.

Sanae seemed enamored with the great dying tree and took a few steps toward it.

"Oh, hey," Korra then said, grabbing her arm as she was reminded the other woman was there. "Tenzen, this is Sanae. My new friend."

The older man raised a brow. "Your friend? I assumed she was with Bolin?"

"No, no, it's not like that," the earthbender immediately insisted with a wave of his hands.

"Not yet," Korra grinned and Bolin smacked his palm to his forehead, greatly embarrassed. "Anyway," continued the avatar, "Sanae here is interested in getting a little more in touch with her spiritual side."

Tenzen looked the new woman over. She just stood in the avatar's grip, looking embarrassed to be there in need of his help. She shrugged helplessly at him. He had a feeling this wasn't entirely Sanae's idea. This was quite an odd request. Korra wasn't in the habit of just bringing random people to Air Temple Island for an impromptu meditation class.

"I suppose maybe Jinora could fit her in for some brief spiritual instruction."

Sanae actually looked like her pride was hurt at the insinuation and decided to stand her ground. "I am already very well versed in the nature of spirituality. I just... it's more like I need some time to find my balance again."

Tenzen nodded sagely. "I see. Well, any friend of the Avatar, especially one seeking balance, is most welcome here. The temple is for enlightenment and you are free to find a spot that suits you for meditation."

Korra looked intent on giving him the whole story as to why they were all there, but Sanae cut her off.

"Yes, that's all I need. I'm certain I can do this by myself," she insisted.

Korra let it go at that. "Alright, Sanae, do what you gotta do. Bolin and I are going into town with the family."

"But you already _live_ in town," Bolin complained as she grabbed his arm and started pulling him away.

"Yeah, but not with Pema and the kids."

"But-" Bolin glanced back at Sanae.

"She'll be fine. She's got to do this on her own. We'll be back for lunch, okay?"

Sanae smiled and waved them off, encouraging them to go. She was silently grateful they were finally leaving her a moment to herself. Although she was thankful for their help, their enthusiasm left her feeling a little smothered. The avatar was right. Finding her own spiritual center was not something anyone could help her with. She had to do this alone.

Tenzen kindly showed her around the grounds and some of the prime places one could find solitude to meditate. When he left her to her own devices, Sanae continued to walk the around the island, relying on her own internal compass to direct her to the proper place to commune with the spirits. She found herself wandering back to the dying old tree and she placed a hand on the massive trunk as she stared up at its bare branches. A fresh breeze blew past, making the few remaining leaves shiver.

The avatar kept trying to give life to the tree, but it wasn't the tree that was in need of help, it was the soil. The ground was tired and stripped of nutrients. After a quick glance around to find that no one was watching, Sanae crouched and used her finger to scrawl a few quick symbols into the dirt. Then, she placed both palms down to the ground and concentrated. The soil beneath her touch hummed for a moment, then it was finished.

As quick as she could, Sanae scooted out of there before anyone could see her and continued on as if she had never stopped at the old tree. There were several nice places around the temple where one could sequester themselves away for some quiet time, but Sanae just couldn't bring herself to stop anywhere just yet. The walking and the sun just felt so good after such a miserably rainy day the day before.

Eventually, she came across a collection of monks working in a large garden and she was suddenly filled with envy. She didn't want to sit and meditate, _that_ was what she wanted to do. And who said one had to sit with their eyes closed to find spiritual balance anyway?

"Excuse me?" she asked the nearest monk, a much older man than Tenzen with a hunched back and skeletal frame. "Do you mind if I help work in the garden? I feel... like being in the earth will help with my meditation."

The old man looked her up and down and then smiled. "If that is what the spirits are telling you, be my guest. It is very hard work though. The soil is mostly clay here on the island. It's very difficult to cultivate." He motioned to the anemic vegetables struggling to grow. Many of the plants were much smaller than they should have been by this time of the year.

Sanae just nodded, neatly removing the beautiful boots Asami had given her. She did not want them to get dirty and there was just something about walking barefoot in the mud that she loved.

"That's fine. I've never minded hard work."

* * *

Korra had said they would be back by lunch. But knowing how much time the airbending family and the avatar together took to do anything, Bolin should have known that was not going to happen. Lunch came and went and he, Korra, Pema, and her two youngest sons, Meelo and Rohan were still wandering through town, looking at everything. The boys, ever hungry, had eaten twice by now and the afternoon shadows were growing long.

Even Bolin lost track of time with the family. He also enjoyed being with Tenzin's kids, watching how they had grown. Ikki was a teenager now and too cool to hang with her family; she was out with friends. But Meelo was still, well, Meelo. Rohan, while energetic, was much like a miniature version of his father. He was bright and studious, and a bit more soft spoken, more like Jinora. Both were far more excitable when Korra was around and the two still crawled all over her like airbending lemurs.

As the sun was thinking about beginning to set, Jinora and Kai, now married, met up with the family in town, delaying them further. Jinora had a big hug for Bolin when she saw him and he appreciated it.

"I haven't seen you in years, Bolin!" she beamed as she hugged him far tighter than one would think was possible for a girl of her size. "You look so great! How's your brother and his family?"

Bolin coughed as the air was squeezed out of him, even though she could hardly fit her arms around his bulk. "Makko's good. Everyone's good over there. His wife just found out she's pregnant again and the twins are really excited."

"Oh, that's great! Send them our love, okay?" Jinora then suddenly gasped, turning to her mother and Korra. "I forgot, I just heard Opal had her baby! It's a boy!"

"That's wonderful!" Pema cooed. "She's been wanting a child for so long. I'm so happy to hear that."

Opal and Jinora had grown close since the former began her airbending training. It was normal for Jinora to keep tight tabs on her friend. However, when Jinora saw the pained expression on Bolin's face, she immediately regretted her words.

"I'm sorry, Bolin. I didn't mean to bring it up right in front of you."

He forced a smile on his face. He was very good at calling up that smile when he needed to. "No, no. That's fine. I'm really happy to hear that, Jinora. I really am. If you see her, tell her I wish her all the best, okay?"

Jinora smiled at patted him on the arm.

Bolin suddenly jolted as he remembered something. "Korra! We've been gone from the temple all day long! We need to get back there!" He instantly turned and ran off toward the ferry. "Come on!"

"What's at the temple?" Kai asked.

Korra grinned. "Bolin's girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend!" came the distant call.

"Not yet," Korra said and ran off after him.

* * *

The stupid ferry sure took its stupid time to get back to the stupid island in the middle of stupid Republic City. Bolin was about to jump off the side and swim there with how slow it felt they were going. He couldn't believe he just left Sanae there all day long and completely forgot about her. What if she was finished hours ago and thought they abandoned her? _What if she left them for good?!_

Bolin nearly vaulted the rail as the ferry docked at the island. Korra followed after him, grinning all the way as he raced up to the temple, frantically looking every which way for her. There were always ferries coming to and from the island. Sanae could have just left on her own. Of course, she was free to come and go as she pleased, but Bolin couldn't stand the idea of that morning being his last moments with her. What would he do if he never saw her again? How was he going to-

"Hey, there she is, in the garden," Korra said, tugging on his sleeve.

Seeing her feminine form hunched among the monks as the day dwindled eased a great pressure in his chest and Bolin ran to her. "Sanae!"

The brunette straightened at the sound of her name, flipping her hair back in the orange of the setting sun. Strands of hair clung to her forehead, her face was smudged with dirt, and her smile was brilliant. Bolin nearly tripped over his own feet at the sight. Sanae was pretty when she was shy and quiet, but when happy, she was breathtaking. His heart thudded hard in his chest.

"Hey, sorry we left you here all day. We got a little sidetracked. Not that that's an excuse. I should have been watching the time better."

"Not at all," Sanae replied, her voice happy and light. It was like he was standing before a completely different person than the one they had left there that morning. "I had a wonderful time." She glanced up at the orange sky. "I can't believe the day's nearly over. I really enjoyed my stay here."

"Working in the garden?" Korra asked dubiously. That sort of thing sounded awful to her.

"Hard work is good for the soul," an old monk told them and Sanae nodded sagely. She wiped her forehead with one hand, spreading another streak of dirt on her face.

Bolin let out an internal sigh of relief that, not only was she still with them, but she looked more relaxed than she ever had before. "I'm glad you had a good time. You look like you're feeling better."

"I do feel good," she agreed with another bright smile.

"You're probably starving. Can I take you out to dinner?"

The smile sank a little in surprise. "Oh, um, both of you are coming?"

Bolin glanced at Korra, giving her a high-browed look. As any good wing man, the avatar immediately bowed out of the invitation.

"Sorry, I can't. I... promised Asami I'd get back home. And I'm not hungry. You two go get something to eat and we'll see you back at the house later."

Bolin threw her a grateful look.

Sanae glanced down at her dusty clothes and muddy bare feet. "I don't think I'm fit to really go out anywhere."

"Nah, you're fine," Bolin insisted. "We can hit up some food carts outside. Believe me, my brother and I have showed up looking way worse and they didn't turn our money down."

The way he said it must have tickled a funny bone, for Sanae laughed a little. Then her stomach rumbled at the mention of food and she quickly clamped her arms around herself. "I guess I can't say no to dinner now," she admitted with good humor.

Bolin was thrilled. "Great! Whatever you want to eat, I'm buying!"

* * *

After a cleaning herself up the best she could, Sanae joined Bolin on the ferry back to the mainland. She was happy to not have to take the air bison again, even though that meant it took even longer to get something to eat and her stomach kept growling.

The pair hit the first food cart they found, which served delicious wraps in flat bread. Sanae said she only needed one, but Bolin ordered two for her, insisting he would eat the second one if she wasn't hungry. He took personal pleasure watching her devour both wraps, licking the sauce off her fingers when she was finished.

Bolin had spent so much attention on her, he still had half his meal left and didn't notice until Sanae started eyeing that as well. To which he immediately offered her some. It was so cute that there was actually a moment where she looked like she was considering it. Then her face went red and she insisted he eat it all and that she was full. It was adorable.

After they were finished, Bolin suggested a scenic way to get back home. He took her through the city square where the lights were just beginning to come on as the sun set. It was still very warm out and children played in a large, lit fountain built into the ground. Water would shoot up from holes in the ground and the kids would run through them, laughing.

Curious, Sanae stepped close to one of the holes and looked down. She was immediately sprayed right in the face as she squawked and jerked back. She stared at Bolin with dripping hair and he tried to keep a straight face. _Don't laugh, don't laugh,_ he pleaded with himself. The last thing he wanted was to make her mad at him while he was still trying to get to know her.

But Sanae laughed for him, flicking the water away, her eyes shut with glee. She was loving it. She did not have a dainty, girly laugh. She actually snorted and that caused Bolin to suddenly start snorting, too and they both had a great laugh together.

"You really seem to know the city well," Sanae commented as they continued to walk around town.

"Oh yeah, I grew up here. Lived in Republic City my whole life until I got married. My ex-wife's family lived in Zaofu, so we moved out there. Then, after the divorce, I moved to Ba Sing Se where my brother lives. I've got a lot of extended family there, too."

"Wow, you've been a lot of places," she marveled.

"Yeah, went all over the Earth Kingdom when I was younger, even went to the Southern Water Tribe. But Republic City holds a special place in my heart. Lots of good memories here. Lots of favorite places." He paused, and then to make it so the conversation wasn't just about himself, he added: "What about you? I mean, clearly you travel or you wouldn't be here."

"Actually, I lived in the same village my whole life. Then, I went through a few other villages to the train station, then I went through a few different cities and now I'm here. That's about it."

"Still plenty of time to see the world," Bolin encouraged. "I'm sure you'll see many more great places."

"Thank you," Sanae smiled, lifting his spirits. "Maybe one day."

As they continued to walk, they approached a building with a bright marquee decorated in multicolored lights. She gasped when she saw it. "Oh, wow! Is this a mover theater? I keep hearing about them." She jogged over to the side of the building to stare at the two mover posters displayed near the ticket window. One was a fire nation adventure flick, the other some sort of romance story.

"Oh, yeah, there's a few mover theaters in Republic City," Bolin nodded. He paused, and then, because he wanted to impress her: "You know, I was in a mover once."

Her neck whipped over in his direction, her deep brown eyes wide. "Really?"

"Yeah, one of the first ones ever made, actually. Though, I guess, more like a collection of movers, really. Like, a series of short episodes that ended in a long mover as the climax. It was really popular when it came out. Maybe you even saw some of it. Most people still remember it: The Adventures of Nuktuk."

She looked at him blankly.

"Hero of the South?" he tried.

She shook her head. "I've never even seen a mover before. We don't have these anywhere where I'm from. You have to travel two days by foot to get to the nearest city big enough to have a theater."

Bolin was a little disappointed. Even though it was over ten years ago, he was still recognized for playing the lead character. He tried to shrug it off. "Oh, well, that's okay. It was a long time ago and they were just propaganda films to support the southern water tribe during their civil war." He motioned to the posters. "Movers these days are quite a bit more sophisticated than old Nuktuk."

Sanae inched a little closer. "Is there... is there a way I can see them?"

Bolin's mouth ticked up a little, both from her proximity and her interest. "Well, they don't really play them anymore but..." He took a moment to think, then grabbed her hand. "Come on, I might know a place."

He was thrilled when she didn't pull away and followed eagerly after.

* * *

The very first theater to play the Nuktuk films was hardly a theater at all. As the mover had just barely been invented at that time, it would be a while before the first mover theater would be built. Back then, the large community center, usually reserved for meetings and city social events, was filled with chairs while the first ever Nuktuk episode was projected onto the large, whitewashed wall. Bolin knew the man who ran the community center and, as luck would have it, he still had an old projector and a few of the early Nuktuk episodes gathering dust in the back storage.

Since the center was not in use that night, the two sat in the empty multipurpose room; just two chairs and a projector on the wall, and watched the first episode of the Nuktuk series. Bolin glanced at Sanae as the theme song began to play.

 _Who's gonna fight for friends and freedom? Nuktuk!  
He's the biggest, baddest, bending-ist man I know.  
Who protects the icy tundra? Nuktuk!  
Battling northies up there in the snow.  
When Unalaq starts trouble, he'll punch him in the mouth.  
He's Nuktuk, the hero of the Souuuuth!_

"Bolin! That's you!" Sanae announced.

"Yeah, that's me."

"Look at you! How old are you in this?"

"Uh... about... seventeen, I think."

"You are just a baby in this! Look how adorable you are!"

Bolin stuttered at her words, taken aback at how quickly she praised his younger self.

"And is that... is that Pabu?"

He grinned. "Yup, Pabu's in it, too. He was the best actor of them all, if you ask me."

The fire ferret, hearing his name, popped his head out of Bolin's shirt. Finding nothing of interest going on, he slipped back in and went back to sleep.

For a second, Bolin recalled the first time he showed a Nuktuk episode to Opal, who had watched it with polite discomfort and then outwardly frowned at any romantic scene between Nuktuk and his sexy co-star. Sanae's reactions were completely different.

She proved to be the perfect audience for Nuktuk. She laughed and gasped and booed at the cartoonish Unalaq at all the right moments. In the first episode, Nuktuk meets Ginger and saves her from the North invaders, beginning their romance. Sanae had stars in her eyes as the two characters shared a meaningful look.

Bolin spent most of the episode watching the enchantment all over Sanae's face. He found himself thinking he couldn't have made this mover for anyone else but her for her to enjoy it so thoroughly. It was nice to finally see her relax and allow her real personality to shine through.

The movers were only about twelve minutes each and they watched the first three, which was all that was found in the stockroom. When there was nothing more to watch, the two cleaned everything up and packed it away again before heading back out to the streets.

"You were seriously the most animated person in that show," Sanae gushed as they strolled side by side down the sidewalk, Bolin's hands in his pockets. "Everyone else was so stiff and stilted, but you, it was obvious that you were having so much fun. You really made that show, Bolin. I really enjoyed watching it."

"Ha! Well, thanks very much. I'm glad you liked it. It was nice seeing you have such a good time."

She blushed a little at that and Bolin liked seeing that as well.

"You know," he continued, "Nuktuk still has a fan base today. They even have a yearly convention in Republic City where fans from all over the Earth Nation—even all over the world—come to talk about it. They call it 'Nuk-Con'."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah, it's kinda cool. People dress up in costumes and they play the whole series so you can watch it from start to finish. I used to go every year as a guest of honor to talk about making the series and about the very real conflict between the water tribes. Though, I haven't been in the past few years."

Not since the divorce.

"So, do _you_ go in costume?" Sanae asked with raised brow.

He barked out a laugh. "No. That old thing, I think, was sold for some charity. I doubt adult me could fit into it anymore."

She gave him a cheeky grin. "That's too bad."

Bolin felt his face grow warm.

They walked along the river, crossing a bridge over the light-reflected water to get back to Asami's mansion. Sanae stopped in the middle of it to admire the lights of the park and the nearby statue of Avatar Korra, built after she saved Republic city from Unalaq and Vatu.

Bolin stood next to her as they both leaned on the rail and looked silently at the view. After a few moments, he glanced her way. "So, after this whole spiritual thing is sorted out and you find the pool, what will you do next? Are you going to go back home?"

She shook her head, brows furrowed. "I don't consider that place my home any more. I honestly wasn't sure what I would do after the spirit world. I really didn't think that far out."

"I'm sure you would have come up with something," Bolin encouraged. "If you're interested, I live in Ba Sing Se. You're welcome to come back with me. There's lots of work there. I work for Verrick Industries, I know Verrick himself. I'm sure we could find you some employment, if that's what you're looking for. And in the meantime, I've got a big house where you could stay. Lots of empty rooms..." Bolin drifted off, realizing that all those empty rooms were quite depressing.

"That's very kind, but I don't know if that's a good idea," Sanae replied, now reverting back to her quieter voice.

"What? Why not? It would be a good place to get back on your feet. I don't mind helping you at all."

Bolin was surprised when she suddenly looked offended.

She furrowed her brows, looking down at her hands as they clutched the rails. "And what would you expect as payment for all this help?"

He balked a little at the unexpected question. "I wasn't expecting anything. I guess if you would feel more comfortable, you can pay some sort of rent after you find a job. Or, I can find you your own place. You know, whatever you want is fine."

She looked at him, now brows up in confusion. "You wouldn't want any other type of... compensation from me?"

"I don't really know what you mean. I still kinda feel like I owe _you_ after ruining your chance in the spirit world. I don't mind helping you out, anything you need. That is, if you want my help."

Her gaze wandered back to her hands, still confused. Bolin thought she looked a little lost. He reached out to put her hand on this.

"Sanae..."

She instantly stiffened and pulled back from his touch.

"Sorry," Bolin said, raising both hands in surrender. "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just want to help you."

She let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry, too. I'm really not very good at dealing with..."

"Strangers you've only known for two days?" Bolin guessed.

"Men," she finished. "I'm afraid I'm not in the habit of trusting them."

"Oh." His hands flopped helplessly at his side. "But you can trust me. We're friends now, right?"

She looked down, her hands now wringing each other in discomfort. "I like you Bolin, and I'm trying. I believe you're a good person but sometimes you make me a little nervous. You're kind of... intimidating."

Bolin suddenly barked out a laugh, so loud it made her jump. "Me? I'm intimidating? Boy, I've been called a lot of things, but never that." What would Chief Beifong have to say if she heard that?

Sanae looked embarrassed now and Bolin felt bad for laughing.

"I know I'm being silly. You seem like a very nice person but..." She quickly glanced over his broad form. "You're so much bigger than me. You _could_ hurt me if you wanted to."

That statement floored him. In his lifetime full of strong women he had never met anyone who had been concerned that he could overpower them. He didn't even know women like that existed. When he spoke, his voice was low and soft. "I would never hurt you, Sanae, I promise you that."

She let out a long, shaky breath, gaze still transfixed on the water. "Where I'm from... men are often not too kind or gentle. They are harsh and hard and rough. They take what they want whenever they want. This is the way of my village."

Bolin stared at her for a good moment, really looking at her as her gaze remained on the water. Her very carefully chosen words meant to explain little of what exactly had happened to her, but Bolin's mind was already buzzing with all sorts of possibilities. A protective streak ran thought him. Whatever she had been through, he would die before he let it happen to her here.

"I'm sorry, that sounds horrible. I wish I could change how you've been treated, but all I can tell you is it's not like that here. There are thousands of people in this city who are not like that. _I'm_ not like that. I would be so gentle with you- I mean! By with you, I'm just talking about like when we're together—but not _together_ together, just-" He let out a long breath. "I'm just making this worse, aren't I?"

He looked up and she was smiling carefully at him. "No, actually, you make me feel better. You constantly surprise me with how nice you've been to me. I haven't known any man who is as sweet as you."

Their eyes locked: vivid green and chocolate. Bolin felt an uncanny pull and he accepted it, moving closer. He kept his hands at his side as his head bent slowly toward hers. Her lips parted ever so slightly and his mouth brushed hers just enough to taste, to feel their softness, then he pulled away. "Now you've known one. I'm sorry you had to wait so long to experience it."

He pulled away to look her in the face. She stared at him, blinking only once. Her lips moved inward as if to taste him on her. She trembled slightly.

"I'm sorry, was that okay?" he asked, worried. "I kinda felt like you wanted me to. I should have asked first. Now it was me that just started taking-"

"No," she cut him off. "This was fine. I was also kinda thinking like I wanted you to. But..." She let out a long breath as if she had been holding it for a while. "Is it okay if we go back now? I'm feeling tired."

He smiled gently. "Yeah, let's go home."

The turned and started again for the mansion. Bolin, out of habit, raised an arm to settle around her shoulders, but caught himself before he touched her. He kept his hands in his pockets all the way back.

* * *

Korra's head appeared at the top of the stairs when she heard the front door open and close. "Hey Bolin, guess what? We've got Makko on the radio. Want to talk to him?"

He shrugged. "We already live in the same city. I see him all the time." He paused and glanced at Sanae. "Actually, yes. I do want to talk to him." Then to Sanae he said. "I'm just going to go talk to my brother then."

She nodded. "That's fine. I'm going to bed."

Pabu jumped out of Bolin's shirt as they parted ways on the stairs and Bolin followed Korra down the hall to a small office where Asami sat at the desk, chatting at a radio that emitted a familiar voice.

"Oh, hey Bolin," she greeted. She meant to ask how his night had been, but Bolin had already grabbed the mic from her.

"Makko! Makko, listen! Is Grandma still alive?"

A heavy Makko-like sigh came from the other end. "Bolin, you ask me this every few days and the answer is still the same. Grandma is fine."

"Okay, then tell her not to die. I need her to be alive for my wedding."

"She was already alive for your wedding; to Opal. She can't be expected to live through every wedding you have. Don't make Grandma live forever, that's selfish."

"Bro, you don't understand. I have met _the one_."

"Yeah, that's what the girls have been telling me," came the calm, unconvinced response.

"No, Makko, you don't know this girl. She is my life mate, my soul partner. The one I'm truly meant to be with!"

"Yeah, and that's what you said about Korra."

Korra grinned at him as Bolin blushed.

"I know but-" Bolin tried.

"And about Eska."

"Oh, come on, I was a dumb kid-"

"And Ginger."

"For like a day, maybe-"

"And Opal."

"Now wait a minute. Opal and I worked out for a while. We had good times. We loved each other."

"I know you did, Bo. But don't be jumping the gun over the next pretty girl you see. Asami told me you just met her two days ago."

"Doesn't matter if I met her two hours ago, bro. I _know_ she's the one. I had this dream-"

"Hi, Bolin!" a female voice sang over the radio.

Bolin instantly turned from slightly irritated to happy as a clam. "Hi, Maki!"

Often called "Kiki" by her friends, Maki was Makko's wife of now five years. (They were often teased by their friends and family while they were dating. Maki and Makko: wouldn't it be so funny if you two got married?) Bolin adored his brother's wife, and she adored him. Having no siblings of her own, she was so overjoyed to finally have a little brother and was pretty much all over him with sisterly affection anytime he came to visit.

"What's this I hear about you finding a new girl?"

"Oh Maki, this girl is-" Bolin paused to glance around the room to make sure Sanae was nowhere around. "She is perfect. I swear to you, I'm going to marry her."

There was a squeal of delight from the other end.

"He barely knows her," Makko's voice argued in the background. "He met her two days ago."

"And they had their first date tonight," Korra grinned into the mic.

"Yeah, and you need to tell us about everything," Asami insisted, now both girls crowding in on the earthbender.

"It was...fine," Bolin said. "We went out to eat and walked around town. Everything was fine."

There was a silence of disappointment at the lack of details.

Only Makko seemed to catch what was not being said. "You kissed her, didn't you?"

"Uh... maybe?"

"Bolin!" Korra blurted, mouth open with glee.

"That's my bro. Bo always moves fast when he sees a girl he wants."

"Was she okay with it?" Asami asked.

"She said she was," Bolin said.

"She looked fine when they came in," Korra confirmed.

"Okay, but tell me about her," Maki's voice said. "Where's she from? What does she do?"

"That's the thing, we really don't know that much about her. She doesn't like talking about herself," Korra said.

"She said she's from a little earth village a long ways from here," Bolin said. "I think she ran away from it. She told me a bit about it tonight and it didn't sound like it was a real great place to be, especially if you're a woman."

"Oh, yeah," Maki confirmed over the radio. "Some of those old earth villages are still pretty much in the dark ages. They're so deep into the wilderness, they still have all these backward laws and woman are treated like property."

"What? Really?" Korra demanded. "In this day and age?"

"There's a lot of little villages deep in the Earth Kingdom where the modern world hasn't reached yet," Maki continued to explain. My mom was from one of them. She came to Ba Sing Se as a refugee from one of those villages when I was seven. Her husband—my father—had bought her from her parents to be his wife. He was twelve years older than her and very abusive. When my mother couldn't take any more, she fled with me into the woods and traveled to the city. We lived in poverty in the outer ring of the city, but she said anything was better than going back there."

"Wow, I'm sorry, Maki," Korra said. "I had no idea there were still villages like that."

"They are slowly dying out, especially with the introduction of the train system through all of the Earth Kingdom. But there are still a few tiny pockets that are stuck to the old ways. My mom still has a brand burned into the back of her neck of her husband's crest."

Asami gasped. "Sanae has one of those!" She noticed Bolin was suddenly clutching the mic a little tighter, but continued. "She told me—I promised I would keep it a secret—but she told me it was the crest of her husband and that he had died."

"Maybe he did," Maki said. "That would be a good reason to get out of there. When a man dies, his wives—however many he has—are divided up among the extended family, just like the rest of the property. If she's lucky, someone else will take her and she would prett live as a servant to that house. If no one wants her, she's pretty much homeless and often ostracized by the entire village."

"No," Korra said with finality as she stood. "This isn't right. No one should live like that. I need to change this."

"I hope you do, Avatar," Maki's voice said gently. "I really hope you do."

* * *

After much lighter chit-chat, and more teasing at Bolin's expense, everyone said their good nights to Maki and Makko, and turned off the radio to retire for bed. Bolin was passing the room Sanae used and noticed the light was still on, the door opened slightly. He remembered what Asami said about the brand on her neck. The idea that someone had done that that to her sent a violent anger through him, one that he had never felt before. No wonder she was so guarded when first meeting him. She had hardly been treated like a real person where she lived.

He badly wanted to say something to her, to tell her she would never have to worry about anyone hurting her or treating her like that again. If only he could figure out how to say it without sounding like a total weirdo.

As he lurked outside the door, he heard the soft hum of her voice. Peering in, he saw her in a pale pink shirt and blue pajama pants. She sat at a window seat, looking out at the lights of the city. In her lap was Pabu, curled up while she stroked his back.

When she stopped humming, the fire ferret raised his head and chittered at her.

"What's that?" she asked. "You want another song?"

Pabu gave an affirmative trill.

She smiled. "Alright. How about this one."

Instead of humming, she began to lowly sing song lyrics in a soft voice:

 _Said the firebending boy: come to my nation  
Come sail on a dragon, come fly above  
And we will be happy  
And both live together  
Forever sustained by the flames of our love.  
_

 _But the fire grew cold in the wake of the smile  
Of a firebending girl with lips red as flame  
And the firebending boy left me on the shore  
Of a volcanic island crying his name._

The second verse, she stood, her voice a little louder as she danced around the room, holding Pabu up in her arms as if he were her dance partner.

 _Said the waterbending boy: come sail to my tribe  
Come see my ice palace, share the waters I love  
And we will be happy  
And both live together  
Sharing kisses beneath the Moon Goddess above._

 _But the ice of his heart was hidden so well  
Melted by a tribe girl he loved more than me  
No one had warned me ice burns just like fire  
As I was heartbroken and fled to the sea._

Bolin's heart suddenly fell hard. Seeing this girl, dancing and singing to his best friend, twisted his heart in ways he never thought possible. He wanted her with him. He wanted to treasure her, worship her, keep her happy and content for the rest of his life.

Sanae slowed her dancing as the tune of her song slowed to a bittersweet melody.

 _And so I returned to the land of my people  
And there upon shore stood an earthbending boy  
His smile I could kiss, his face dearly remembered  
And he said 'to see you again brings me such joy'_

 _And we were so happy  
And both lived together  
I love you forever, my earthbending boy._

Then the tempo suddenly picked up, as did her dancing as she continued to twirl around, Pabu high in her arms, leaning down so they were almost nose to nose.

 _An earthbending boy, and earthbending boy  
Find yourself an earthbending boy._

Bolin was now openly leaning against the door frame, grinning. Sanae stopped when she noticed she was being watched. For a moment, Bolin realized he could get in trouble for being there, but she just smiled his way and looked down at the fire ferret in her hands as if just noticing him there.

"Looking for Pabu?"

"Uh, yes, that's what I was doing." Bolin extended his arm. Pabu jumped and climbed up to his shoulder. "Certainly not just leering in the doorway watching you sing and dance with my fire ferret. Though I liked the song."

She smirked. "The lyrics aren't the best, but the tune is catchy. It's actually based on a very old story. An earthbender loved this girl from the Earth Kingdom, but he was too shy to tell her and she runs off with a firebender who does actually dump her and leave her on an active volcano island.

"Then a handsome waterbender happens upon the island and tells her he will take her back to his tribe. But when they get there, he gives his betrothal necklace to a tribal girl. Heartbroken, the Earth Kingdom girl goes back to her village and the earthbending boy is still there waiting for her."

"Aw, that's a sweet story," Bolin said.

"It's also very racist," she laughed. "The whole point of the story was to get Earth girls to marry men from their own nation."

He snorted. "I see. Still though, nothing wrong with dating an earthbender, no matter where you're from, right?" He winked at her.

She smiled, flushing slightly. "No, nothing wrong with that at all."


	3. Chapter 3: It Led Me To You

**.**

Author's Notes: I forgot this story existed until a whole one person asked if there would be any more. Here's the next chapter. Slight warning, this does get a little adulty and there are mentions of abuse involving minors. You have been warned.

 **The Pool**

 **Chapter Three: It Led Me To You**

Asami always had sensitive hearing, very much aware of most things that went on in her large mansion. In sleep, it was selective; ignoring Korra's sometimes heavy breathing, but rousing her at the slightest metallic twang as it sounded faintly through the house. Korra was a far deeper sleeper and didn't even move as Asami left the bed and grabbed a robe to pad out into the hall. She met Bolin at the stairs, coming the opposite direction where the sounds of stirring from downstairs could be heard clearer. It sounded like it was coming from the kitchen.

"Your cook's being a little loud this morning," he said.

Asami checked the time. "He's not due to come in for another hour at least."

"Maybe he wanted to get an early start?"

The two looked at each other and then traveled down together toward the kitchen. The clatter of metal implements as well as the sound of rummaging in the cupboards grew louder as they stepped through the swinging door of the kitchen.

Inside, they immediately saw Sanae behind the island counter, next to the stove. There were a few pots and pans already frying and bubbling. Many other food items and utensils were littered around around her. She nearly jumped when she saw them come in and suddenly cried: "I can clean it up!" with wide eyes. "I promise I will clean it all up when I'm finished! I just wanted to make everyone breakfast."

Her panicked eyes darted from Asami to Bolin and then back again.

Asami was still squinting in the bright lights of the kitchen. "You're making breakfast?" she asked with a yawn.

"Yes, the fish Korra brought the other day." Sanae gestured to the large thawing fish body, now minus a head. "As thanks for all the help you guys have offered, I thought I would prepare it as a surprise. It's so big I needed to get up early in order to have enough time."

Both continued to stare at her. Now Bolin yawned while Asami scratched her side.

"I promise I'll clean up the mess," Sanae reiterated.

"You're going to make me breakfast?" Bolin asked with stars in his eyes.

"Fine by me," Asami huffed. "I'm going back to bed."

.

* * *

The second time they flew to Air Temple Island, Sanae did a little bit better on the sky bison. Bolin's presence seemed to calm her and the marks she left on his arm weren't nearly so deep. Once again, Tenzen was there to greet them, though he seemed far more excited than the day before to see them. Mainly, to see Korra.

"Korra, you did it," he praised as she jumped down from the bison. "Thank you so much! The tree looks so much better today. I think it might make it!"

"Yeah?" Korra asked, a smile pulling at the side of her mouth. "Let's go take a look."

Bolin and Sanae once again followed back to the ancient tree as Tenzen presented it to them. It did indeed look far better than it had yesterday with new green buds sprouting on all the branches.

"Isn't it amazing, Korra?" Tenzen asked. "Just one night and these are the results. You did it exactly right this time."

Korra didn't share his wide grin as she looked up at the tree. "Tenzen, I didn't do this." She pointed at some faint marks etched into the dirt at her feet. "I didn't do those either."

Sanae slowly raised her hand. "Um... I did... sorta."

Both the avatar and the airbender raised their brows at her in similar fashion.

"How?" Korra asked.

Sanae's voice went a little softer under the scrutinizing gazes. "I.. I just put..." She breathed out, trying to find the courage to speak up. "It wasn't the tree that was the problem, it was the soil. So I used a traditional prayer that I learned from my village. It puts good energy back into the earth."

"With earthbending!" Bolin announced as he finally caught on. "Sanae's an earthbender! Hey, me, too! Look at us, a couple of earthbenders. It's like we were meant to find each other, right?" he asked with a playful wink.

Sanae gave him a careful smile. "Yes, I have the ability, but I'm afraid I'm not very good at using it the way it's most common in the city. As a girl, I wasn't allowed to learn the martial arts side of earthbending. The female earthbenders use our abilities to strengthen our spiritual side and commune with nature and the forest spirits. Through them, we learn to channel positive energy in the earth so our crops grow big and healthy."

Korra's expression molded to one of concern as she listened to the story. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like to not be allowed to cultivate her bending skills. This really was an issue she needed to address. People in these old, obscure villages greatly needed a dose of the modern age to come knocking at their door. It had been a long time since Korra had a personal project. Maybe she needed to start one.

Bolin purposefully brushed over the more disconcerting elements of the story, trying to keep the conversation light. "Hey, that's okay, it's never too late to learn, Sanae. You know, I could teach you some things. I used to be a pro bender, you know."

Sanae instantly frowned at him in suspicion, her brows furrowed, the corners of her mouth pulled down. "You told me you were a movers star."

"I was both. First I did pro bending, then the movers, then back to pro bending. I even saved the president."

Her frown pulled down lower. Now she looked like she had smelled something bad.

"It's true," Korra offered. "He did all that."

The frown instantly went away, but Bolin was not looking. He had to turn away from that face. That hilarious, adorable face she was making. Oh, he could get in so much trouble because of that face. When she looked at him like that when he had done something that displeased her, he would try so hard not to grin and it would make her so mad. And she would yell at him for not taking things seriously, then he would laugh. Then she would yell at him some more and that face would get him laughing all over again. By the gods, Bolin had it so bad for her. He was already picturing their life together. Stop, stop it Bolin. Get your act together.

He quickly turned around. "Right, sorry if that came out sounding flippant. I was mostly a pro bender. I only did those mover shorts for a brief time during the civil dispute between the water tribes. At least in my teens, anyway."

"You have done a lot," Sanae told him.

He grinned. "I like to keep busy."

.

* * *

When the group continued around the island, they came upon one of monks Sanae had gardened with the day before.

"Ah, there you are again," the old monk said to Sanae. "You must see the garden, it looks so much better than yesterday. The vegetables are really growing well. It must have been your beautiful smile to brighten them up."

"Aw, thank you," Sanae said, though she was certain even the monk knew that there was some earthbending to really thank for it. She kissed him on the temple all the same and the old man grinned.

"You know, you're welcome to work with us today as well."

"Hey, hey, hold on old man," Bolin warned as he cut in. "Let's keep it in our robes, okay?"

To that, Sanae laughed, as did Korra.

"Korra! Korra! Korra!" came an excited chorus as two young air benders ran right up to the avatar. Both Meelo and Rohan were bouncing up and down around the avatar, chanting her name.

"Hey, what's up, guys?" she laughed.

"You won't believe what we found," Rohan announced. "We were cleaning the attic and-"

"We found a treasure map while we were cleaning the attic!" Meelo squawked twice as loud, drowning out his younger brother.

"And you were supposed to stay up there until it was clean," Tenzen said in a stern voice.

Rohan looked properly chastised but Meelo was immune to his father's tone. "We couldn't stay up there, this is reeeeeally important, behold!" He shoved an aged piece of paper into Korra's face. "The map to untold riches!"

"Meelo," Tenzen warned.

"Woah!" Korra said, snatching the paper up to get a better look. Now she was ignoring the airbending master as well. "It _is_ a map! It's a map of this island! And this... Tenzen, does that signature say Sokka made this map?"

Tenzen leaned in and his brows raised a bit themselves in intrigue. "I think it is."

"Woah! Great uncle Sokka left us treasure!" Rohan marveled.

"Let's go find it!" shouted Meelo. "Right Korra?"

"You bet! I am so in!"

Bolin was grinning. If Korra was distracted elsewhere, then there would be opportunity for he and Sanae to have some time alone together.

"Can I come, too?" Sanae asked, swept up in the treasure-hunting fever.

Bolin's expression dropped.

"Sure! The more the merrier!" Korra agreed.

"No! The more people come, the more we'll have to share the treasure," Meelo grouched.

"Meelo! We are generous with others, especially our guests," Tenzen scolded. "I taught you better than that."

The second youngest let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't need the treasure," Sanae responded. "I just want to go on the adventure. Is that okay?"

"I guess so."

Sanae turned brightly to Bolin. "Are you coming, too?"

He felt his own smile tug at the side of his mouth when she beamed at him. How could he say no?

"Sure."

"Ugh!" Meelo groused. "Okay, but no more people allowed to join. Just us!"

.

* * *

Sanae knew she shouldn't have gone. This wasn't her goal. She was supposed to meditate and find her peace and balance while she was at the island, not hunt for treasure. Just this one last time, she promised herself. One last moment of selfishness and she will give up everything else to the gods and spirits in meditation after that. Though, deep in her heart, she wondered if all of this was in vain. Maybe no matter what she did, she was not meant to bathe in the spirit pool. It was too good for a person like her.

So instead, she distracted herself with brief entertainment as the group followed the map all around the island. They hunted hither and yon, following the meandering trail on the map. They crawled through dense bushes and spooked up random wildlife. They trekked through the tiny forest located on the island and then down to the beach where the trail led them to a cave that was well hidden by the rock formations unless you were looking for it just right.

"Wow, I didn't know this was down here," Meelo yelled into the cave entrance. "Great Uncle Sokka knows everything!"

Korra sparked up a flame in her open palm as a source of light and the group walked inside. Into the cave, it split into two paths. The map indicated they take the one on the left and soon they came upon it, a heavy chest tucked away in the darkness. It was dusty and warped from the dampness of the cave. A rusty lock barred them from the contents, but Korra metalbended it away.

The two kids were right up front when Korra opened the lid. "Okay, here we go."

Everyone held their breaths as the chest was opened. Inside, lay a large pile of clothing.

"WHAT?!" Meelo demanded. "Where's all the gold and jewels?! It's just dirty laundry!"

Rohan dared to put his hands inside the musty pile and pulled them out, inspecting them. "I think they're costumes. They're all Great Uncle Sokka's costumes. Dad would tell us how Sokka would dress up and do funny characters when Dad was a kid. This is Uncle Sokka's treasure. We have to show these to Dad! He'll love them!"

Meelo huffed and pouted, but eventually joined in as everyone gathered around the chest and dug through their find.

"Why are there so many fake beards in here?" Sanae said with a laugh. She put one on, a very full, dark brown beard. "Hello there, my good sir," she said to Meelo in the deepest voice she could muster. Rohan laughed in glee.

Meelo immediately brightened and grabbed a mustache, applying it to his face. "Pleasant day to you as well, fellow gentleman," he replied in his best adult man voice.

As the two bantered, Bolin suddenly glanced away, hand over his face.

"You okay?" Korra asked quietly. She moved a little closer and by the light of her small flame, she saw Bolin's face and gone bright red. "Bolin?"

"Korra, I swear I'm going to marry that woman," he whispered.

The avatar laughed.

.

* * *

Bolin and Korra carried the chest back to the temple and presented it to Tenzen who did indeed enjoy this newly-found treasure and dug through the chest himself with much nostalgia. The thick beard Sanae had worn now adorned Korra's face and she had gleefully worn it all the way back up to the temple. Even now, she still had it on her face.

"You ever gonna take that off?" Bolin asked.

"Not yet," Korra said, stroking her beard. "Not until Asami sees what a sexy beast I am."

"I'm sure sexy beast is exactly what she's going to say about it," Bolin assured her. He then noticed Sanae looking out the window and approached her.

"We spent all day on that map," Sanae said as she watched the orange of sunset bleed into the blue sky. "I wasted another day playing around."

"Yeah, but look what we got from it." Bolin nodded toward a still very proud bearded Korra.

A smile tugged at the edge of Sanae's mouth. "It was very fun. I'm glad I did it. I can't remember the last time I had such fun."

Bolin edged a little closer. "Would you like to go out and get some dinner with me again?"

A bearded Korra suddenly jumped in between them, an arm around each of their shoulders. "How about you kids do it right? Come back to my place, get cleaned up, and go on a real dinner date, hm?"

Bolin's heart jumped at the idea, but his better sense told him he shouldn't be too forward. "I'm not sure—"

"I think that would be fine," Sanae said, smiling at them both, then just at Bolin.

Bolin had a rejoining smile that could have lasted for days.

.

* * *

Just as the avatar suggested, the three of them returned to the mansion. Asami did not find Korra to be a sexy beast with that beard, but she did get a good laugh. After telling Korra there would be no kisses until she took that stupid thing off, Asami shooed Sanae to go get cleaned up while she looked through her closets for something to wear. Sanae insisted on nothing to fancy; she wasn't used to such things. Asami settled for something date-nice, but not evening-wear galla nice. Still, she managed to get the country girl into a long skirt and to wear an ornate comb in her hair. Sanae even sat still while Asami applied a bit of makeup.

When she announced she was done, Asami allowed her to look in the mirror and Sanae just stared. The woman in the mirror was beautiful and Sanae didn't recognize her at all. She didn't know how she felt about that.

Still, Asami bustled her out and there at the top of the stairs stood Bolin and Sanae hardly recognized him either with his stiff dress coat and slicked back hair. Korra was giving them both a thumbs up. The two earthbenders approached each other and gazed at one another.

"You look very beautiful," Bolin said, though he seemed a bit off.

Sanae furrowed her brows at him. "Are you uncomfortable with this?"

"With you? No, of course not!" he floundered.

"No, with this." She tugged at the buttoned breast of his fancy coat.

"More than you will ever know," he said solemnly.

Sanae laughed. It started small and then broke out into great peals of mirth when Bolin joined her. Asami and Korra were a little baffled at the response. When the two finally managed to get the laughter out of their system, Sanae looked back at Asami, pulling the comb from her hair.

"I am so sorry, you did such an amazing job, but I think we're both going to change."

.

* * *

In much more casual, but still nice clothes, Bolin took Sanae to a restaurant with good food, but average prices. He didn't let her get away with ordering the cheapest, smallest menu item either and ordered several different sampler platters.

"It's so I can figure out what you like," he informed Sanae as the waiter left with their order. "Since you're a little shy about ordering for yourself. I'll just have to order a lot of food to make sure you're never hungry."

She gave him a careful, but grateful smile. "That's very kind of you, Bolin. I'm sorry if this is a bother. I don't like being a charity case. I don't like not being able to pay for things. And I'm also not used to being in places like this."

Bolin leaned in. They were in a large circular booth, sitting nearly side by side. "Hey, I get it Sanae, I really do. I've been there. My brother and I lived in the streets when we were young. No parents, no one to take care of us. We would beg for coins or food, sometimes even steal. And we hated it. As we got older, we would work for anyone who would pay us doing all sorts of odd jobs. We wanted to pay our own way. We became pro benders out of necessity. It was how we paid the bills."

Without thinking, he put a hand on hers, his thumb rubbing along the side. "I know you're an honest, hard-working person who likes to pay her own way, I get it. But sometimes we all need help and the best thing to do is take it gracefully and use it to get back on your feet so you can start paying your way again."

Sanae looked down at the hand touching hers and didn't pull away. Then she looked Bolin in the face. "Thank you. I really needed to hear that."

He grinned. "No problem. And now you can eat all the food you want, guilt free, alright?"

A quick laugh escaped her throat. "Okay. Just this once."

.

* * *

Eat is what they did that evening, enjoying all the different platters. Bolin didn't consider himself an extremely wealthy man, but working for Verrick he earned enough to be comfortable and he would have paid anything to watch Senae eat. The way she enjoyed her food as if each bite was the first she had in a long time was adorable to watch.

Though Bolin wanted to finally learn more about her, Sanae insisted on keeping the conversation about him. She wanted to hear about his pro bending, all the different things he had done while helping the avatar. And even his more humbling experience working for Kuvira. Bolin allowed it. If Sanae needed to know him inside and out in order to get more comfortable with him, he would tell her everything. The way she watched him when he spoke to her also just made him want to talk even more so she would never stop looking at him.

After dinner, they walked along the same park as before, this time following the river and looking in the windows of the various shops down the way. Eventually, Sanae slipped her arm around his as they strolled and Bolin would have been content if she never let go.

Eventually, they meandered back up the river and the bridge was in sight. The same bridge that led to the path back to the Sato mansion. It was dark now, had been for a while. It was getting late. Yet, they stopped on the bridge as they had before and watched the moonlight on the water. It had been chillier that day than the day before. Sanae was in a sleeveless shirt and Bolin draped his jacket over her shoulders. Korra had insisted he take it even though Bolin insisted he wouldn't get cold. Now he was glad he listened. The way Sanae pulled it closer around her and surreptitiously smelled his scent on the collar warmed his heart. His hand found hers on the rail of the bridge and their fingers idly played with each other as they listened to the night sounds of the city.

"Bolin," Sanae spoke up between their comfortable silence. "I want to let you know that I've made a decision of what I'm going to do."

"Oh... yeah?" Bolin said carefully, unsure of what to expect from this new conversation.

She let out a long breath. "I feel like I've just been procrastinating the inevitable. I've been having too much fun being around all of you. It rmade me really happy, but I have to remember why I'm here. Tomorrow, I am going back to the spirit world to look for the pool. Whether or not I find it, that will be the last time I look, then I must move on."

"Move on?" Bolin blurted. "As in _move on_ move on? You're going to leave?" You're going to leave _me_?

"I understand what you said to me at the restaurant, but I can't leech off everyone's hospitality forever. I have to figure out what to do with myself."

"You can figure it out with me," he quickly said. "I'm great at helping people figure things out."

She gave him a pained, regretful look. "I like you Bolin, I like you very much, but... you don't know me. You don't know what things I have done. I'm not a good person. If you knew me, you wouldn't want me here."

He put his hand on her wrist that was resting on the rail. "Lies," he insisted. "I do want you." This time, he didn't try to fix the words that slipped out. But he did let go when she pulled away from his touch.

"Bolin, you only say that because you don't know." She sounded exasperated now, a hint of desperation in her voice. "I feel like I've been lying to everyone! I want it to stop! I need to go!"

He breathed in deep, and then let it out. "Fine. Then tell me."

Her expression dropped. "No, I don't- I don't want-"

"Just tell me what you think is so bad. Talk to me, Sanae."

"Please don't ask," she whispered.

He gripped her arms, gentle but firm. "Just this once tell me whats going on. Let me help you."

"I killed someone!" she cried, breaking out of his hold. Bolin balked, staring at her as she breathed hard in front of him. "I killed someone," she repeated in a low, shaky breath. "I had to leave my village because if I stayed, I would have been lucky if all they did was put me in jail."

Bolin was quiet for a moment, watching her; internally weighing something in his mind.

"I don't believe it," he finally said.

"...What?" she asked, baffled at the response.

"I don't believe what you told me."

"It's true! I murdered someone, Bolin! I took a person's life!"

He just looked at her with those brilliant green eyes of his. "That doesn't change how I feel about you."

Sanae's jaw dropped, unable to find the words. Her mind reeled, her heart flip-flopped. "Why?" she choked helplessly.

"From the moment I saw you, I felt something. I know you felt it, too. This pull; this feeling of being where you belong. Since I met you, I've had the same dream every night. I'm following the stag, just like in the spirit world. I'm chasing him through the forest until I burst into a clearing. In that clearing, there's no spirit pool. There's only you, Sanae. The stag didn't lead me to that pool, he led me to you."

She just continued to stare at him, eyes wide and wet. She trembled and a tear ran down her cheek. Bolin had never seen a girl cry like that: without sniffs or sobs, just silent tears. Another tear escaped down the other side and he cupped her jaw, wiping it away with his thumb. She leaned into the touch, still wide eyed, and slowly moved closer until her forehead brushed against his chest. Bolin finally, finally was able to put his arms around her.

Sanae just stood there, shaking in his arms, her eyes would not stop watering as the tightness continued in his chest. She understood what he meant by the pull. She had felt it, too. Even that first time they met, naked and mortified as she stumbled away, that brief moment in his arms felt safe. All the other times he looked at her, touched her, spoke softly to her, she craved more of it. And she had been lying to herself the entire time that this wasn't what she wanted. She did this because she knew he was so good and it broke her heart that she wasn't the kind of person he deserved.

"Shhh, hey, don't cry," he murmured as he held her. "Whatever you did, I'm here with you. We'll figure it out. It will be okay."

She pulled away then, wiping her eyes as she tried to get her emotions under control. "I wish you would stop being so good to me."

His mouth was suddenly, firmly on hers. Her eyes widened and then closed on their own. She tasted him, felt his strength and knew she was safe. He pulled her in, arms around her as he deepened the kiss. Her fingers clutched his shirt as she kissed him back and pressed against him. Their bodies warmed, clutching at each other as they kissed and kissed before coming up for air.

Then they stood against each other, breathing hard, foreheads touching, bodies still close. Sanae's fingers played with the buttons on his shirt. She didn't want him to let her go.

"So," Bolin said in a low voice. "We're both adults, we've done this dance before so I'm just going to say it. If you want, we can go to a hotel and have a night to ourselves. Or, we can go back to Asami and Korra's. If you're more comfortable with the second thing, I promise you it won't change how much I care about you."

Sanae pulled back a bit to look him in the eyes. Her fingers were still clutching his shirt.

.

* * *

There they were, alone in the hotel room: her and him. Two alone people; together, alone. Bolin smiled a bit to himself when he remembered saying that to Korra all those years ago. How far he had come since then.

Sanae sat herself on the side of the large bed, her shoulders hunched a little with insecurity. She kept staring hard at the wall, thinking. Internally trying to decide... something. Maybe this wasn't what she wanted after all.

Bolin kept his distance. "Hey, we don't have to do anything you don't want to do, okay? If you want to just sleep, we'll sleep. If you want separate beds, even separate rooms-"

"Bolin," she cut him off softly, still not looking at him. "Will you come sit by me?"

Anything for you, he thought as he sat himself down. His heavier weight caused her body to lean into his and she didn't appear to mind. In fact, she reached for his hand and their fingers rubbed against one another. She didn't look him in the face, just down at their entwined digits. Bolin allowed himself to get lost in the feeling of touching her. Even though her hands were dry and calloused, he never wanted to stop feeling her touch.

"I lived in a small village called Seki," she began and Bolin glanced up at her in surprise at the sudden information. "My family was very poor. There was hardly enough to feed all of us. Like many poor families, they would sell their daughters to richer men because they needed the money and because they hoped these men would give them better lives. Maybe some of them did have good lives. I honestly don't know.

"I was fifteen when I was sold to my husband. He was thirty-eight and I became his second wife. My first night there, he forced me to his bed and beat me severely, just so I would know that I was his property and he could do whatever he wanted to me. That was the only life I knew for a very long time.

"He purchased his third wife not long ago. She was thirteen. Her parents made him sign a contract that said he would not do anything... inappropriate to her until she became an adult. I knew he wouldn't keep his word. He didn't with me. I saw him giving her that look. I knew it well. I knew what he planned to do with her.

"I heard her screaming that night and I didn't even think about it. It happened in a blink. One moment I was at my bedroom door, listening to her pleading for help. The next, I was standing over his body."

Her voice trembled as well as her hand as Bolin gripped it tighter. "He... he keeps this glass pitcher in his room. It's heavy. And the broken remains of it were still in my hands. He wasn't moving." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "There was so much blood."

She sniffed. Her eyes watered again at the recollection and her nose was running. She grabbed a tissue from the side of the bed before continuing.

"After that, I grabbed what money in the house I could find. I took that girl and we fled the village. I knew there was a train system out there somewhere, I just had to find it. We traveled on foot for several days until we happened upon a larger town. They had a train station. They also had a shelter for women and girls who had escaped the fringe villages deep in the forests."

She gave a bitter laugh. "I didn't even know there was such a thing. I didn't know people were different elsewhere. I left the girl with people who could help her. I kept running. So you can see why I haven't found the pool again. I did something bad and then I ran away. The spirit pool can't fix this and I was stupid to think it could."

"Hey, hey," Bolin said gently as he took her arms, turning her to face him better. "You're not stupid and you're not a bad person. You were protecting a child. How could anyone fault you for that?" He brushed a few strands from her face. "Look, I know people in high places, not just Korra. I know the former prince of the Earth Kingdom. We can get this figured out. Even if you tell people everything that happened, I think it's going to be okay. You won't have to run forever. And I'll be there with you every step of the way, alright? I promise."

A familiar look crossed Sanae's face. Bolin had seen it before whenever he tried to be nice to her. That careful look of doubt.

"What are you thinking right now?" he asked.

"I don't understand why you want to do so much for me. I'm a stranger to you. I feel like..."

"Like you would be an idiot to trust someone you just barely met like that?" Bolin ventured with a smile. "Then we're both idiots. My brother always gets after me for falling for girls as fast as I do, but that's how I am. I know it sounds crazy and much to soon to say this, but I love you, Sanae. Since the first time I saw you, I know all I wanted to do was protect you and make you happy."

She threw herself at him, arms around his neck as she kissed him. Bolin caught her lighter form easily and returned the sentiment whole-heartedly. He kissed her fully, the way he had been aching to, her taste far sweeter than he could have imagined. Her fingers threading through his hair, scraping his scalp, sent electricity through his whole body. He groaned as he kissed her deeper, crushing her to him.

She pulled away first. He reflexively followed, his mouth searching for hers again, but she kept some distance between them.

"Slow," she panted. "Can we take it just a little slower?"

He kissed her forehead. "Of course we can. Whatever you want, sweetheart."

She scrunched her face cutely and blushed at the pet name. No one had ever called her that before. Timidly she reached for him, fingering the hem of his long sleeve.

Bolin leaned in, their foreheads nearly brushing. "You can touch me anywhere," he whispered in a voice that made her shiver. "Anywhere you want. You can do whatever you want to me."

Sanae gazed up at him, her face a healthy flush of pink. No man had ever said such a thing to her. It surprised her just how much she wanted to put her hands on him. She had never had the urge before, especially not with her abusive late husband. Men had become the enemy. They repulsed her, scared her. She didn't want to have anything to do with them. Not until Bolin with those kind, green eyes, his calming voice and that cute, boyish smile that made her want to smile right along with him. She never caught herself admiring a male's form before Bolin. His broad shoulders and muscular build kept catching her eye. She wanted to feel his strength, his warmth, all around her.

Her fingers traveled up his arms, over the material of his sleeves. She measured the width of his shoulders with her fingertips, meeting in the middle where the hint of his clavicle peeked out of the collar. She touched the skin there briefly before sliding down to the first button of his shirt.

Bolin waited patiently as she undid the buttons one by one. Her eyes were drawn to the muscular chest as it was exposed. He helped her tug the shirt from his belt and slid it off the rest of the way. Once exposed, Sanae's eyes roved over the form in the dim light of the bedside lamp. She reached out gingerly to touch one of the various scars he had gained from years of pro bending and adventure. She carefully rubbed the marred flesh with her thumb, feeling the texture. Bolin took her wrist, pressing her hand flat against his left pectoral. It was firm and warm under her hand.

"Touch me," he said with a smile, leaning in so their noses brushed. "I'll like it, I promise."

She laughed a little in response, giddy and shy as if she had never been with a man before. Both hands rested on his chest. Bolin sucked in a breath as they glided over his skin; down to his stomach, then up until she cupped his neck in both hands. Sanae moved up on her knees on the mattress as he put an arm around her waist and guided her to sit sideways on his lap. Her fingers played with the hair at his nape and he closed his eyes for a moment at her touch. When he opened them again she was watching him. Her deep brown eyes memorized his face.

For a moment, he saw that doubt creep on her again and he patiently allowed her to wrestle with it. Then her fingers took their turn to learn his face. She traced his brow, the slope of his nose, the line of his jaw. Her thumb glided over his bottom lip and she kissed him. Then she kissed the side of his mouth, his cheek, nose and forehead.

Bolin sighed as he pressed his face against her neck, his heart tumbling for her all over again. This is what he had been craving: someone to hold him, someone he could adore and protect. And she smelled better than anything. He breathed her in before kissing her neck. Her breath hitched as he worked his mouth over her jaw, his fingers playing with the top clasp of her shirt.

"Is this okay? He asked. "If there's anything you don't want me to do, just tell me."

"I want you to," she insisted and his heart thudded harder. "Are you sure you want... me? I'm bringing you a lot of trouble. None of this is your fault."

"I want your trouble," he told her sincerely. "I want all of you. As long as you stay with me, I'll take whatever trouble comes. We'll handle it together."

"Thank you," she whispered. "I wish I could say it better."

"A great way to say thank you would be to let me see you naked," Bolin joked with a wink.

Sanae stared at him and for a moment he worried his stupid, unfiltered mouth had crossed the line. Then she burst out laughing. She was still laughing as she pulled him down and kissed him soundly.

Bolin guided them both to the bed. They continued murmuring and laughing as they undressed one another. They explored each other slowly, taking the time to learn each other's scars and hot spots. As their bodies joined, their eyes remained locked on each other as the euphoria overtook them. Slow, deep they crashed together like a heavy wave and then fell limp in each other's arms.

In the darkness, they lay together in content silence, Sanae with her back pressed against Bolin's chest. She idly ran her fingers over his arm, tracing the veins and muscles.

"My ex wife had a baby the other day," Bolin said in the stillness. "We thought we couldn't have kids. The more we tried, the more doctors we saw, the more miserable she became. She blamed me. Eventually, she got tired of looking at me and threw me out. But I guess it was me after all. With her new husband she finally got that baby she always wanted."

Sanae turned her head to look at him. "I want you. I can't have children either. There's a certain root that grows in the area of my village. It will make expectant mother's lose the baby and will make a person sterile of they eat too much of it." She paused and took a breath. "I never wanted to bear that man's child. So I made sure I couldn't."

Bolin brushed strands of hair from her forehead and kissed it. Her thick hair was sprawled all over the pillow and he loved it.

"It doesn't matter. I don't need kids. I just need you. Plus, we have Pabu."

She laughed. "Yes, we have Pabu." Rolling over, she propped herself up on an elbow so she could watch him. Her voluminous hair fell around her in haphazard ways and Bolin though this was the most beautiful version of her yet: the one that had recently been ravaged by him.

"Come back with me to Ba Sing Se," he pleaded.

She kissed him. "Anywhere you want me to go, I'll follow."

Bolin pulled her down for a long kiss, his fingers sinking into her hair. Her fingers danced along his skin, sending currents of pleasure through his body. With a groan, he rolled them over and they started learning each other all over again.


End file.
